LIBRARY 

OF  THK 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


61  FT    OF 


..yiM^r^ 


Class 


Studies  in  the  Teaching 

of 
Jesus  &  His  Apostles 


Studies  in  the  Teaching 

of 
Jesus  &  His  Apostles 


By 
EDWARD   I.  BOSWORTH 


OF  THE 


UNIVERSITY 


THE  INTERNATIONAL  COMMITTEE  OF 

VOUNG   MEN'S   CHRISTIAN   ASSOCIATIONS 

NEW  YORK,   1905 


Copyright,  1901, 

by 

The  International  Committee  of 
Young  Men's  Christian  Associations 

(3-e.P2397.7-os) 


,"'• 


Preface 


THESE  are  simple  studies  on  important  topics,  and  not  a  com- 
prehensive presentation  of  the  teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  apos- 
tles. In  these  studies  the  teaching  of  Jesus  as  presented  in 
the  Synoptic  Gospels  !  and  in  John's  Gospel  will  generally  be  separately 
considered  in  order  justly  to  bring  out  the  striking  peculiarities  of  each 
presentation.  The  critical  study  of  the  sources  of  the  Synoptic  Gospels 
has  not  yet  resulted  in  any  theory  which,  in  its  application  to  details, 
has  gained  such  general  acceptance  as  to  warrant  its  adoption  in  a  work 
of  this  character.  The  teaching  of  the  Synoptic  Gospels  will,  there- 
fore, be  considered  as  a  whole.  In  the  study  of  the  teaching  of  the 
apostles  such  discrimination  will  be  made  between  the  different  types 
of  apostolic  teaching  as  will  serve  to  bring  out  the  peculiarities  of  each, 
so  providentially  preserved  in  the  New  Testament,  in  so  far  as  such 
peculiarities  may  become  evident  in  the  consideration  of  the  particular 
themes  selected  for  study. 

The  general  purpose,  determining  the  whole  plan  of  presentation,  is 
to  direct  the  student  in  his  study  of  the  text,  and  to  furnish  him  such 
suggestions  as  will  facilitate  rather  than  prevent  the  true  scholar's  joy  of 
independent  discovery.  The  attainments  and  previous  experience  in 
Bible  study  of  those  who  will  use  this  book  are  so  diverse  that  more  of 
direct  suggestion  must  be  given  than  may  seem  to  be  demanded  by 
the  most  advanced  students,  and  more  than  will  be  demanded  by  the 
majority  of  students  when  systematic  Bible  study  shall  have  become 
common  in  fitting  schools  and  colleges. 

1  Matthew,  Mark  and  Luke  are  called  Synoptic  Gospels  because  they  present  the 
life  of  Jesus  from  a  common  view-point.  They  are  strikingly  similar  in  subject-mat- 
ter and  order  of  arrangement,  while  John's  Gospel  is  constructed  on  an  entirely  dif- 
ferent principle. 


173089 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of 
Jesus  and  His  Apostles 

PART  I 
Jesus'  Conception  of  Himself  and  His  Mission. 

PART  II 
The  Apostolic  Conception  of  Jesus  and  His  Mission. 

PART  III 

Jesus'  Conception  of  the  Disciple  and  his  Mission. 

PART  IV 

The  Apostolic   Conception   of  the   Disciple   and  his 
Mission. 


Contents 


PAGE 

PREFACE  .  v 


PART    I 

Jesus'  Conception  of  Himself  and 
His  Mission 

STUDY 

I .  Jesus'  Announcement  of  His  Messiahship  ....        I 

II.  Jesus'  Conception  of  the  Kingdom  of  God       ...        9 

III.  Jesus'  Conception  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  (concluded)  .      16 

IV.  Jesus'  Conception  of  Himself  and  His  Mission         .        -23 
V.  Jesus'  Conception  of  Himself  and  His  Mission  (continued)     30 

VI.     Jesus'   Conception   of  Himself  and   His   Mission  (con- 
tinued)    37 

VII.     Jesus'    Conception  of  Himself  and   His   Mission    (con- 
tinued)    44 

VIII.     Jesus'    Conception   of  Himself  and   His    Mission   (con- 
cluded)    51 

PART   II 

The   Apostolic   Conception   of  Jesus 
and    His  Mission 

STUDY  >      PAGE 

IX.      The  Apostolic  Consciousness 61 

X.     The  Apostolic  Conception  of  the  Life  of  Jesus       .        .      69 


XI.      The  Apostolic  Conception  of  the  Resurrected  Christ     .      76 
XII.      The  Apostolic  Conception  of  the  Resurrected  Christ 

{concluded) 83 

XIII.  The  Apostolic  Conception  of  the  Eternal  Christ  .        .91 

XIV.  The  Apostolic   Conception  of  the   Significance  of  the 

Death  of  Jesus 99 

XV.      The  Apostolic  Conception  of  the  Significance  of  the 

Death  of  Jesus  {concluded) 109 

PART    III 

Jesus'    Conception    of  the   Disciple 
and  his   Mission 

STUDY  PAGE 

XVI.     Jesus'  Conception  of  Men  as  Potential  Disciples    .        .115 
XVII.     Jesus'  Conception  of  the  Disciple  in  Relation  to  Him- 
self        .122 

XVIII.     Jesus'    Conception   of  the   Disciple   as   a   Son   of  the 

Heavenly  Father 133 

XIX.     Jesus'   Conception  of  the  Disciple  in   his  Relation  to 

the  Holy  Spirit 137 

XX.     Jesus'   Conception  of  the  Disciple  in  his  Relation  to 

his  Fellow  Disciples 144 

XXI.     Jesus'  Conception  of  the  Disciple  as  a  Man  of  Prayer  .    152 
XXII.     Jesus'  Conception  of  the  Disciple  as  a  Man  of  Prayer 

{concluded) 160 

XXIII.     Jesus'  Conception  of  the  Disciple  Extending  the  King- 
dom of  God .168 


STUDY  PAGE 

XXIV.      Jesus'  Conception  of  the  Disciple  Extending  the  King- 
dom of  God  (concluded^)         .        .        .        .        .176 
Jesus'  Conception  of  the  Disciple  and  his  Mission      .    179 


PART    IV 

The    Apostolic    Conception    of  the 
Disciple  and  his  Mission 

STUDY  PAGE 

XXV.      The   Apostolic  Conception  of  the   Disciple    in    the 

Church 185 

XXVI.      The   Apostolic   Conception  of  the   Relation    of  the 

Disciple  to  the  Holy  Spirit 192 

XXVII.     The    Apostolic  Conception   of  the   Disciple  in    the 

World 199 

XXVIII.      The  Apostolic  Conception  of  the  Disciple  in  Eternity   207 

XXIX.      A  Statement  of  Personal  Testimony     .        .        .        .214 

XXX.      The  Disciple  Choosing  his  Life  Work       .        .        .216 


PART   I 

JESUS'    CONCEPTION   OF    HIMSELF 
AND   HIS   MISSION 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  "Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  I. — ;je«tu!'  &nmmatemeiit  of  j)t0 

FIRST  DAY  :  THE  CONCEPTION  OF  MESSIAHSHIP  CURRENT 
AMONG  THE  JEWS 

1.  One  of  the  great  problems  before  Jesus  was  to  correct  and  en- 
rich the  conceptions  of  Messiahship  current   among  the  mass  of  His 
countrymen.       These   conceptions  varied   among   different   classes  of 
society.      All   agreed   in   expecting   Him   to  be   King  in  the  coming 
"  Kingdom  of  God  ;  "   but  men's  conceptions  of  this  Kingdom  varied 
as  current  ideas  of  heaven  vary  to-day,  and  naturally  their  conceptions 
of  the  King  varied  with  their  conceptions  of  the  Kingdom.      It  is  pos- 
sible to  glean  the  principal  features  of  this  conception  of  Messiahship 
from  the  four  Gospels  and  from  other  Jewish  literature  that  has  sur- 
vived. 

2.  Read  Matt.  2:3-6  and  John  7  :  41,  42,  to   ascertain  the  pop- 
ular expectation  regarding  His  birth-place,  but  see  in  John  7  :  27  in- 
dication of  another  view,  unless,  as  is  quite  probable,  this  last  passage 
simply    means   that   He  was  expected  to  come  forth  suddenly   from 
some  unknown  place  of  concealment.    Note  in  Mark  9:11  whose  re- 
incarnation was  expected  to  precede  Him.  and  compare  Malachi  4 :  5 
as  the  basis  of  the  expectation. 

3.  His  kingly  functions  were  involved  in  the  popular  designation  of 
Him  as  the  "  Anointed,"  the  Hebrew  form  of  which  expression  has 
furnished   us    the  word  "Messiah,"  and  the  Greek  form,  the  word 
-'<  Christ."     His  royal  lineage  and  office  were  expressed  in  the  com- 
mon title,  "Son  of   David."     See  Matt.  22:42;  Mark   10:47; 
John  7  :  42.      David  had  been  promised  the  throne  forever  (2  Sam. 
/  ;  i  2- 1 6),  and  the  Messiah,  therefore,  would  necessarily  be  a  Son  of 
David.      Cf.  Is.   1 1  :  i,  10,  remembering  that  "Jesse  "  was  David's 
father. 

4.  The  Messiah  was  also  currently  called  "  Son  of  God"  (Matt. 
16  :  16;    26  :  63).      The  nation  had  been  accustomed  to  call  itself 
"  God's  Son"    (Hosea  I  :  10  ;    II  :  i),    and  to  think  of  its  great 
Messianic  head  as  par  excellence  God's  Son,  as  He  is  called  in  Ps.  2  : 
7-12.      It  needs  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  among  the  Jews  this  expres- 
sion, "  Son  of  God,"  was  a  mere  official  title,  with  little  of  the  signifi- 
cance later  given  to  it  by  the  personality  and  teaching  of  Jesus. 

5.  Note  in  John  7:31  that  the  Messiah  was  expected  to  do  won- 
derful works,  and  in  Matt.  3  :  7- 1  2  that  He  was  expected,  in  a  Mes- 
sianic judgment,  to  remove   from   the    nation    all    that  were  morally 

z 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  "Jesus  and  His  Apostles 

offensive.  Yet  see  in  Matt.  16  :  21,  22  that  He  was  thought  of,  even 
by  the  best  of  the  nation,  as  one  who  might  act  unwisely,  and  be  set 
right  by  a  trusty  counsellor.  Read  carefully  Matt.  22  :  43-46,  not- 
ing that  the  Pharisaic  theologian  did  not  expect  Him  to  be  possessed 
of  such  dignity  as  would  make  it  natural  for  David  to  call  Him  his 
"Lord." 

6.  Other  features  of  the  popular  Messianic  expectation  appear  in 
Jewish  literature  of  the  day,  outside  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.    It 
was  expected  that  the  Messiah  would  be  attacked  by  a  coalition  of  the 
heathen  powers,    but  would  overcome  them    (4  Esdras   13  :   8-1 1, 
32-48).      After  this  conflict  He  would  purify  and  rebuild  Jerusalem 
(Psalms  of  Solomon    17  :  25-33),   and  call   home   to   Palestine   the 
Jews  scattered  over  the  world  (Psalms  of  Solomon  ii;    17:  28-34). 
Then  He  would  begin  to  administer  His  world-empire,  or  "  Kingdom 
of  God."      The  popular  view  was  that  this  Kingdom  would  last  for- 
ever  (Psalms  of  Solomon  17  14;  John   12:34),  although   another 
view,  perhaps   a  little  later,  was  that  it  would  be  of  limited   dura- 
tion.     According  to  4  Esdras  7  :  28,  29  the  Messiah  would  die  after 
four  hundred  years. 

7.  It  is  to  be  said  regarding  these  views  that  a  degree  of  vagueness 
characterized  them,  and  that  each  class  probably  emphasized  those  most 
attractive  to  it.   The  Pharisees,  whose  ideal  was  a  social  state  in  which 
every  member  would  punctiliously  conform  to  the  rabbi's  wearying 
multitude  of  interpretations  of  the  Mosaic  law,  felt  no  great  practical 
need  of  a  Messiah,  except  in  so  far  as  a  Messiah  might  prove  service- 
able in  fending  off  any  who  should  interfere  with  the  rabbi's  purpose. 

The  patriotic  Zealot,  whose  watch-cry  was  "  No  leader  but  God," 
and  who  was  ready  on  occasion  to  assassinate  the  obnoxious  Roman 
official,  longed  for  the  Messiah  as  a  deliverer  from  political  bondage. 
Probably  all  classes,  even  the  most  pious,  agreed  in  thinking  of  the 
Kingdom  of  God  as  (i)  a  political  organization,  (2)  a  strictly  Jew- 
ish institution,  and  (3)  as  designed  to  give  execution  to  the  Mosaic 
law.  The  Messiah  was  the  royal  personage  under  whom  these  antici- 
pations would  be  realized. 

8.  Among  these   intense,  excitable,  racially  conceited  Jews   came 
Jesus  with  ideas  of  Messiahship  and  the  Kingdom  of  God  destined  to 
seem   to   the  Pharisee  irreligious,  to  the  Zealot  unpatriotic,  and  to  His 
best  friends,  for  a  time,  painfully  unintelligible  and  disappointing. 

As  you  worship  your  Lord  to-day,  think  of  Him  as  once  really  in 
this  perplexing  situation,  praying  much  over  it,  and  steadily  facing  the 
prospect  of  suffering  inevitably  involved  in  it. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  "Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  I.  —  Jesus'  &iw0tttuement  of  J)td 

SECOND   DAY  :  JESUS'   PRELIMINARY  CONCEALMENT  OF   His 
MESSIAHSHIP  ACCORDING  TO  THE  SYNOPTIC  GOSPELS 

i  .  It  required  the  utmost  tact  and  deftness  on  the  part  of  Jesus  to 
meet  the  situation  outlined  in  yesterday's  Study.  His  task  was  to 
modify,  in  fundamentally  important  particulars,  religious  ideas  that 
seemed  to  those  who  held  them  sacred  and  God-given.  The  accom- 
plishment of  such  a  task  required  time  and  the  prolonged  attention  of 
the  nation.  An  abrupt  and  clear  proclamation  of  His  Messiahship 
would  have  defeated  His  purpose.  In  response  to  such  an  announce- 
ment the  more  excitable  elements  hi  the  nation  might  indeed  have 
rushed  to  Him,  but  they  would  have  immediately  fallen  away  in  a  re- 
action of  disappointment  and  impatience,  when  they  discovered  that  He 
was  not  willing  to  be  the  kind  of  Messiah  they  were  looking  for, 
and  He  would  have  lost  His  opportunity  to  modify  their  moral  ideals. 
The  question  to  be  raised  to-day  is  this  :  Is  there  evidence  in  the  Sy- 
noptic Gospels  that  Jesus  concealed  His  consciousness  of  Messiahship 
from  the  nation  for  a  considerable  time  after  His  first  public  appear- 
ance ? 

2.  In  the  first  place  ascertain  whether  the  passages  which  describe 
the  baptism  of  Jesus,  Matt.  3:13-17;  Mark  I  19-11  ;  Luke  3:21, 
22,  necessitate  the  opinion  that  the  heavenly  announcement  of  Mes- 
siahship was  made  to  any  other  than  John  and  Jesus.    Consider  whether 
Jesus'    first   Galilean   preaching,    Mark  I  :  14,    15,   contained  an   an- 
nouncement of  His  Messiahship.     Note  also  Jesus'  strenuous  treatment 
of  the  statements  made  by  demoniacs,  Mark  3  :  1  1,  12,  I  :  34. 

3.  Examine  Mark  6  :  7-13  to  see  whether  the  first  preaching  of  the 
Twelve  included  any  proclamation  of  Jesus'  Messiahship.      Note  par- 
ticularly Mark  8  :  29,  30  and  Mark  9  :  9. 

4.  Notice  next  the  evidence  in  Mark  8:  27,  28  (Matt.  16  :  13, 
14)  that  well   on  in  His  ministry  the  friendly  element  in  the  nation 
considered  Him  to  be  only  a  prophet,  and  not  the  Messiah.     If  He  had 
definitely   announced    Himself  as   the    Messiah   it    would   have  been 
necessary  to  have  accepted   Him  as  such,  or  to  have  considered  Him 
to  be  an  impostor.      It  would  have  been  impossible  to  regard  Him  as 
Elijah,  for  Elijah  would  surely  not  claim  to  be  the  Messiah. 

It  is  assumed  that  Jesus'  favorite  title,  "Son  of  Man,"  was  not 
a  current  Messianic  designation,  and  that  its  constant  use  did  not  con- 
stitute a  public  declaration  of  Messiahship. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  I.  —  JJesttfi'  Announcement  of  pis 

THIRD  DAY  :  JESUS'  SUGGESTION  OF  His  MESSIAHSHIP  AC- 
CORDING TO  THE  SYNOPTIC  GOSPELS 

I  .  Although  Jesus  scrupulously  refrained  from  any  public  proclama- 
tion of  His  Messiahship,  and  suppressed  all  announcement  of  it  on  the 
part  of  others,  He  said  and  did  many  things  calculated  to  attract  the 
attention  of  the  nation  to  Himself  as  a  great  prophet  sent  from  God  ; 
and  these  actions  may  well  have  led  men  here  and  there  to  wonder 
whether  He  would  not  turn  out  to  be  the  Messiah. 

2.  Examine  the  following  typical  passages  and  determine  whether 
in    any  case   He  was  understood  distinctly  and   publicly   to   proclaim 
Himself  the  Messiah.      Read  Matt.  9  :  2-8,  noting  particularly  what 
v.  8  represents  to  have  been  the  effect  upon  the  people.      Read  Matt. 

12  :  1-8,  noting  the  assumption  of  superiority  to  David,  the  temple, 
and  the  sacred  Sabbath  law  ;  and  determine  whether  the  statements 
would  necessarily  be  understood  to  be  a  formal  declaration  of  Messiah- 
ship.      Read   also  Matt.   12:28,  41,  42.      Consider   also   the   effect 
produced  upon  the  nation  by  the  miracles  Jesus  performed  in  connec- 
tion with  these  statements.      There  are  statements  in  Matt.   10  and  in 

13  :  41,  that  are  stronger  than  any  cited  above,  but   they  were  made 
privately  to  His  disciples  ;  and,  furthermore,  since  Matthew's  arrange- 
ment  seems   to   be   logical  rather  than  chronological,  they  may  have 
been  made  late  in  His  ministry  when  He  was  prepared  to  disclose  His 
consciousness  of  Messiahship. 

3.  Whatever   be  the  impression  made   upon  us  by  these  and  other 
passages,  it  is  evident  from  Mark  8  :  27,  28  that,  well  on  in  His  min- 
istry, the  nation  did  not  understand  that  He  considered  Himself  to  be 
the  Messiah,  and   from  Mark  8  :  30  it  is  evident  that  Jesus  did  not  in- 
tend that  they  should. 

4.  At  the  end  of  His  public  ministry,  when  He  had  done  all  He 
could  to  get  before  the  nation  His  new  conception  of  Messiahship  and 
the  Kingdom  of  God,  He  presented  Himself  in  the  capital   in  a   way 
that  constituted  a  dramatic,  though  tacit,  proclamation  of  Messiahship. 
With  this  thought  in  mind  read   Luke  19  :  29-40.      Note  that  it  was 
still  very  difficult  in  the  final  trial  to  find  evidence  that  Jesus  had  rep- 
resented  Himself  to   be  the  Messiah,  and  that  it  was   upon  His  own 
confession  that  He  was  finally  convicted   (Mark  14  :  55-64). 

5.  State  the  reasons,  as  they  now  appear  to  you,  for  Jesus'  pecul- 
iar method  of  procedure  in  the  announcement  of  His  Messiahship. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  I.  —  ^Jeans'  Announcement  of  |)us  Jfl  ess  tab  ship 

FOURTH  DAY  :  JESUS'  PRELIMINARY  CONCEALMENT  OF  His 
MESSIAHSHIP  ACCORDING  TO  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN 

i  .  The  Gospel  of  John,  at  first  glance,  seems  to  represent  Jesus  as 
pursuing  a  policy  in  the  announcement  of  His  Messiahship  quite  differ- 
ent from  that  portrayed  in  the  Synoptic  Gospels.  Upon  closer  in- 
spection the  difference  appears  less  marked. 

Here,  too,  there  is  some  evidence  of  Jesus'  desire  to  suppress  all 
announcement  of  Messiahship.  John  the  Baptist  seems  to  have  pro- 
claimed the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  to  only  a  small  inner  circle  of  his 
own  disciples  (John  i  :  32-36).  To  the  great  body  of  them  he  spoke 
of  Jesus  in  general  terms,  as  one  far  superior  to  himself  (John  I  :  26, 
27,  30).  The  designation,  "Lamb  of  God"  (i  :  29),  whatever 
it  may  have  meant  to  the  Baptist's  mind,  could  hardly  have  suggested 
Messiahship  to  the  average  man,  engrossed  in  the  kingly  aspect  of  the 
current  Messianic  expectation.  That  the  Baptist  did  not  publish  the 
Messiahship  of  Jesus  to  the  main  body  of  *his  disciples  seems  evident 
from  John  3  :  22-26.  Read  this  passage  carefully,  and  note  that  the 
Baptist's  disciples  seemed  surprised  and  displeased  because  Jesus  was  at- 
tracting more  general  attention  than  the  Baptist.  But  if  the  Baptist 
had  already  proclaimed  Jesus'  Messiahship,  they  would  have  expected 
this  to  happen,  and  would  have  rejoiced  in  it.  Nicodemus  also  saw 
in  Jesus  nothing  more  than  a  teacher  sent  from  God  (3  :  I,  2). 

We  are  to  suppose  that  Jesus  and  the  Baptist  had  many  conferences 
with  each  other,  and  the  supposition  is  near  at  hand  that  Jesus  laid 
upon  the  Baptist  the  same  strict  prohibition  of  any  public  mention  of 
His  Messiahship  that  the  Synoptic  Gospels  represent  Him  to  have  en- 
forced in  the  case  of  the  demoniacs  and  the  Twelve.  Note  in  John 
3  :  22,  23  that  the  Baptist  seems  to  have  gone  right  on  preaching  the 
nearness  of  the  Kingdom  as  he  had  done  before  Jesus  appeared,  and  as 
Jesus  himself  did  (Mark  i  :  14,  15). 

2.  There  is  further  evidence  that  Jesus,  at  a  point  well  on  in  His 
ministry,  had  made  no  formal  announcement  of  Messiahship.  Read 
carefully  John  10  :  24,  comparing  it  with  the  passage  already  studied 
in  the  Synoptic  Gospels,  Mark  8  :  27,  28.  The  reply  of  Jesus,  10  : 
25,  26,  asserts  that  His  conduct  had  been  such  as  would  have  seemed 
to  them  Messianic,  if  their  moral  vision  had  been  really  clear  ;  but  it 
is  evident  that  there  had  been  no  formal  presentation  of  Himself  to  the 
nation  as  Messiah,  or  they  could  not  have  asked  the  question. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  "Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  T.  —  3>6tt0'  Announcement  of  f)i0 
FIFTH  DAY  :    JESUS'  ANNOUNCEMENT  OF  His  MESSIAHSHIP 

ACCORDING    TO    THE    GOSPEL    OF    JOHN 

I  .  While  the  Gospel  of  John,  in  fundamental  agreement  with  the 
Synoptic  Gospels,  represents  Jesus  as  for  a  time  repressing  all  formal 
proclamation  of  Messiahship,  it  contains  certain  distinct  avowals  of 
Messiahship  that  do  not  appear  in  the  Synoptic  Gospels.  They  are, 
however,  either  private,  or,  if  public,  not  entirely  free  from  obscurity, 
and  are  never  a  formal  appeal  to  the  nation. 

2.  Note   first   the  private  announcements  of  Messiahship.      Read 
John  I  :  35-51,  and  note  the  recognition  of  Jesus'  Messiahship  with 
which  the  first  disciples  gathered  about  Him,  especially  the  encourage- 
ment He  gave  to  Nathanael  (49-51). 

3.  If  John  3  :  16-21  contains  the  words  of  Jesus,  and  is  not  a  par- 
enthetical  comment  by  the  author   of  the   Gospel,  then  in  a  private 
conversation  with  a  Jewish  senator  Jesus  plainly  declared  His  Messiah- 
ship.      In    any   case,  vv.  13-15   are   the   words   of  Jesus.      Consider 
whether  Nicodemus  would  have  understood  them  to  be  a  declaration 
of  Messiahship. 

4.  Note  in  John  4:  25,  26  the  unreserve  with  which  Jesus   ex- 
pressed Himself,  still    in    private,   to  one   far  removed  from  Jewish 
respectability.      Consider  to  what  extent  this  declaration  was  further 
known  in  the  locality  (28-30,  39-42). 

5.  Read  in  John  9  :  35-38  the  account  of  His  disclosure  of  Mes- 
siahship to  another  outcast. 

6.  What  considerations  induced  Jesus  to  make  to  these  individuals 
the  revelation  of  His  Messiahship  that  He  withheld  from  the  nation  as 
a  whole  ? 

"It  is  strange  that  Christ  should  often  speak  His  most  remarkable 
words  to  the  least  remarkable  persons.  Here  is  a  woman  who  for 
one  splendid  moment  emerges  from  the  unknown,  stands  as  in  a  blaze 
of  living  light,  and  vanishes  into  the  unknown  again.  But  while  she 
stands  she  is  immortalized,  the  moment  becomes  an  Eternal  Now,  in 
which  Christ  and  she  face  each  other  forever,  He  giving  and  she  re- 
ceiving truths  the  world  can  never  allow  to  die." 

Fairbairn,  Studies  in  the  Life  pf  Christ. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  I.  —  JJefitta'  &nn0tmcement  of  |)i0 
SIXTH    DAY:    JESUS'  ANNOUNCEMENT  OF  His  MESSIAHSHIP 

ACCORDING    TO    THE    GoSPEL    OF    JOHN    (CONCLUDED) 

I  .  In  addition  to  the  distinct  announcement  of  Messiahship  made  to 
certain  individuals,  there  is  also  less  of  reserve  on  this  subject  in  His 
public  utterances  as  recorded  in  the  Gospel  of  John  than  appears  in  the 
Synoptic  Gospels.  He  speaks  of  Himself  as  the  "  Son,"  and  of  God 
as  the  "  Father,"  in  a  way  that  seems  to  be  an  application  to  Himself 
of  the  Messianic  title,  "  Son  of  God.  "  Note  instances  of  this  in  John 
5:  17-29. 

2.  Just  what  significance  the  Jerusalem  theologians  attached  to  these 
references   to   God  as   His   Father  seems  uncertain.     Sometimes  they 
pretended  not  to  know  whom  He  meant  (8:19).      At  other  times 
they  called  the  expression  the  raving  of  a  lunatic  (10  :  20).      Some- 
times it  seemed  to  them  a  blasphemous  implication   of  equality  with 
God  (5  :  17,  1  8  ;    10  :  30-33).     Since  their  conception  of  Messiah- 
ship  was  a  low  one,  possibly  such  assertions  of  special  relationship  to 
the  Father,  far  exceeding  what  would  have  been  involved  in  the  mere 
official  use  of  the  title,  would  have  seemed  to  them  blasphemous  even 
on  the  lips  of  one  whom  they  had  been  inclined  to  accept  as  Messiah. 

3.  The  Johannine   representation  of  Jesus,  as  speaking  somewhat 
freely  of  His  Messiahship,  is  almost  wholly  confined  to  the  account  of 
His  Judean  ministry,  while  the  Synoptic  presentation  is  mainly  con- 
cerned  with   the    Galilean   ministry.      Is    there  any  probability   that 
Jesus  could  safely  speak  of  His  Messiahship  with  greater  freedom  to 
the  trained  rabbis  of  Jerusalem,  the  theological  leaders  of  the  nation, 
than  to  the  people  of  Galilee  ?     If  so,  why  ?      In  this  connection  con- 
sider, as  having  a  possible  bearing  upon  the  question,  Luke  2  :  46-49  ; 
John  3  :  i,  2  ;   I  2  :  42,  43  ;  Luke  23  :  50-53.     Note   also  the  light 
thrown  on  the  Galilean  temper  by  John  6  :  12-15. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  'Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  I.  —  3Nttfli'  Announcement  of  f)t0 

SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

i.  The  work  of  the  week  has  introduced  a  topic  of  fundamental 
importance.  The  central  event  of  all  history  is  the  entrance  of  Jesus 
into  humanity's  life.  How  could  such  a  being,  with  standards  of  con- 
duct and  aims  so  much  higher  than  those  of  the  men  to  whom  He 
proposed  to  come  so  close,  adjust  Himself  to  them  ?  What  would 
He  have  in  common  with  them  ?  How  would  He  make  Himself 
known  to  them  ?  How  would  He  proceed  to  transform  their  ideas 
without  repelling  them  ? 

Review  to-day  the  work  of  the  week,  and  make  your  final  state- 
ment of  Jesus'  method  of  procedure  in  the  announcement  of  His  Mes- 
siahship,  and  of  the  reason  for  it. 

"The  greatest  problems  in  the  field  of  history  center  in  the  Person 
and  Life  of  Christ.  Who  He  was,  and  what  He  was,  how  and 
why  He  came  to  be  it,  are  questions  that  have  not  lost  and  will  not 
lose  their  interest  for  us  and  for  mankind.  For  the  problems  that 
center  in  Jesus  have  this  peculiarity  :  they  are  not  individual,  but 
general  —  concern  not  a  person,  but  the  world.  How  we  are  to  judge 
Him  is  not  simply  a  curious  point  for  historical  criticism,  but  a  vital 
matter  for  religion.  Jesus  Christ  is  the  most  powerful  spiritual  force 
that  ever  operated  for  good  on  and  in  humanity.  He  is  to-day  what 
He  has  been  for  centuries  —  an  object  of  reverence  and  love  to  the 
good,  the  cause  of  remorse  and  change,  penitence  and  hope  to  the 
bad  ;  of  moral  strength  to  the  morally  weak,  of  inspiration  to  the  de- 
spondent, consolation  to  the  desolate,  and  cheer  to  the  dying.  He  has 
created  the  typical  virtues  and  moral  ambitions  of  civilized  man  ;  has 
been  to  the  benevolent  a  motive  to  beneficence,  to  the  selfish  a  per- 
suasion to  self-forgetful  obedience  ;  and  has  become  the  living  ideal 
that  has  steadied  and  raised,  awed  and  guided  youth,  braced  and  en- 
nobled manhood,  mellowed  and  beautified  age.  In  Him  the  Chris- 
tian ages  have  seen  the  manifested  God,  the  Eternal  living  in  time,  the 
Infinite  within  the  limits  of  humanity.  .  .  .  For  the  very  great- 
ness of  the  work  makes  it  the  more  necessary  that  we  see  the  Worker, 
not  as  He  lives  in  our  faith  and  reverence,  but  as  He  lived  on  our  com- 
mon earth  ;  a  man  looking  before  and  after,  speaking  as  a  man,  and 
spoken  to  by  men.  ...  By  all  means  let  us  get  near  enough 
to  Jesus  to  see  Him  as  He  really  was." 

Fairbairn,  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  yesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  II.  —  'jftBn*'  Conception  of  t&e  Kingdom  o! 


FIRST  DAY  :     ORIGIN  OF  THE  EXPRESSION  AND  ITS  PROM- 
INENCE IN  THE  TEACHING  OF  JESUS 

1.  We  have  seen  that  Jesus  could  not  proclaim  Himself  Messiah 
until  He  had  endeavored  to  prepare  the  nation  to  receive  such  a  Mes- 
siah as  He   was  willing  to  be.      The  question  that  naturally  arises, 
therefore,  is,  What  kind  of  Messiah  was  He  ?     What  did  He  con- 
ceive the  chief  business  of  a  Messiah  to  be  ?    But  Jesus'  view  of  Him- 
self and  of  His  mission  can  be  rightly  understood  only  when  we  see 
what  His  view  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  was.     In  studying  the  char- 
acter of  a  king,  the  fim  thing  to  ascertain  is  the  ideal   that  he  cher- 
ishes for  his  kingdom.     It  will  then  be  in  place  to  inquire  by  what 
course  of  action  he  proposes  to  realize  his  ideal,  or  what  he  conceives 
his  chief  business  to  be. 

2.  The  term  "  Kingdom   of  God"  was  current   before  John   the 
Baptist  and  Jesus  appeared.      Read  rapidly  Daniel   7  :  1-18,  which 
seems   to  indicate   that  the   Kingdom  was   called  God's  Kingdom  in 
contrast  with  the  various  world  kingdoms  with  which  the  Jews  had 
to  do. 

3.  In  the  Gospel  of  Matthew  the  expression  "  Kingdom  of  God  " 
occurs   only  a   few  times.      Cf.    Matt.  4:  17  with  Mark  I  :  15,  in 
order  to  ascertain  the  expression  that  most  frequently  occurs  in  Mat- 
thew.     The  expression  found  in  Matthew  is  not  found  elsewhere  in 
the  New  Testament.      Note  in  Matt.  19  :  23,  24  the  evidence  that 
the  two  expressions  are  synonymous. 

4.  According  to  the  Synoptic  Gospels,  one  or  the  other  of  these 
expressions  was  constantly  upon  the  lips  of  Jesus.      Glance  rapidly  at 
the  following  references  in  the  Gospel  of  Matthew  :  4:17;   5:20; 
6:  10,  33  ;    9:  35  ;     10  :  7  ;     13  :  II,   24,   31,  33,   44,  45,  47  ; 
20  :  i  ;    22  :  2. 

5.  Strangely  enough,  in  the  Gospel  of  John  the   expression  occurs 
only  in  the  passage  3  :  3-5.      Do  you  see  any  reason  for  its  absence  in 
this  Gospel  ?     Read  John  20  :  31,  and  see  whether  you  detect  there 
one  of  the  characteristic  words  of  the  Gospel,  that  may  possibly  cor- 
respond to  the  idea  expressed  in  the  phrase  "  Kingdom  of  God." 

Read  Luke  8  :  I,  and  try  to  realize  something  of  the  hope  and  en- 
thusiasm which  Jesus  felt,  and  desired  to  produce,  as  He  told  His 
synagogue  audiences  that  the  Kingdom  of  God  was  at  hand. 

9 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  II.  —  Jefittfii'  Conception  of  tlje  Einfffcom  of 
SECOND  DAY  :    THE  NATIONALITY  OF  THE  KINGDOM 

1.  We  have  now   to   take  up  one   by  one  a  few  of  the  principal 
features  in  Jesus'  conception  of  the  Kingdom.      The  first  question  is, 
Whom  did  He  propose  to  have  in  the  Kingdom  ?     Did  He  propose  to 
admit  any  besides  Jews  ?     The  popular  idea  among  the  Jews  was,  that 
the  Kingdom  was  a  Jewish   monopoly.      Note  the  evidence  in   Acts 
1  1  :  1  8   and   the   preceding   context,  also  in  Acts   15:1,  that,  even 
some  years  after  the  resurrection,  the  apostles  and  other  Christian  Jews 
supposed  that  the   Kingdom  was  only  for  the  Jews  and  Jewish   pros- 
elytes. 

2.  First  note  the  evidence  that  Jesus,  for  a  time,  confined  the  ef- 
forts of  Himself  and  His  disciples  exclusively  to  the  Jews.     Read  Matt. 
i  o  :  5,  6,  remembering  that  there  was  a  large  Gentile  population  in- 
terspersed among  the  Jews  in  Palestine.     Read  also  Matt.  15  :  21-24. 
What  was  the  reason  for  this  exclusiveness  on  the  part  of  Jesus  ? 

3.  On  the  other  hand,  note  the   evidence  that  Jesus  foresaw  and 
planned  a  World-Kingdom  in  which  all  nationalities  might  find  a  place. 
Consider  Jesus'  conduct  on  certain  occasions.      Read  Matt.  8  :  5-13, 
which  describes  His  treatment  of  a  Roman  army  officer,  who,  though 
not  a  Jew,  was  so  enthusiastic  an  admirer  of  the  Jewish  religion  that 
even  the  synagogue  authorities  respected  him  (Luke  7  :  3-5).      The 
most  significant  feature  of  the  incident  is  the  remark  concerning  the 
Messianic  banquet,  attributed  to  Jesus  by  Matthew  in  this  connection 
(8  :  1  1,  12).      Who  are  the  "  sons  of  the  Kingdom  "  in  this  pas- 
sage ?     Why  are  they  so  called  ?     Notice  in  Matt.  15  :  28  that  He 
finally  made  an  exception    to  the   exclusive  principle  in  accordance 
with  which  He  was  acting  at  the  time.      What   bearing,  if  any,  has 
Matt.  13  :  38  upon  this  theme  ? 

4.  Picture    to    yourself  Jesus  looking  with    powerful  penetration 
through  the  centuries,  and  seeing  the  vision  of  a  great  World-Empire, 
even  when  His  rejection  by  His  own  countrymen  was  a  certainty  to 
Him.      Let  the  confidence  of  Jesus  make  you  confident,  as  you  look 
out  upon  the  world  in  which  the  vision  has  not  yet  become  a  reality. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  II.  —  yearns'  Conception  of  t&e  J&  inborn  of 


THIRD  DAY  :    THE  NATIONALITY  OF  THE   KINGDOM  AC- 
CORDING TO  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN 

I  .  The  references  to  a  World-  Empire  become  more  frequent  and 
clear  in  the  record  of  the  latter  part  of  Jesus'  ministry.  Even  when 
the  sepulchre  seemed,  to  His  quick  imagination,  vividly  opening  before 
Him,  and  He  felt  that  His  body  was  being  prepared  for  burial,  note 
the  confident  thought  that  was  uppermost  in  His  mind  according  to 
Mark  14:9.  Read  also  Matt.  24:  14,  and  the  definite  statement 
made  by  Him  after  the  resurrection,  Matt.  28;  19,  20  (Luke  24  : 
47). 

2.  In  the  Gospel  of  John  there  is  no  such  emphasis  laid  upon  the 
Jewish  character  of  His  mission  as  in  Matt.   10  :  5,  6.      This  Gospel 
was  written  late  in  the  first  century,  at  a  time  when  the  breadth  of 
Jesus'  plan  had  long  been  evident.      He  is  represented  as  going  freely 
to  the  Samaritans  in  one  instance,  and  they  recognize  Him  as  "the 
Saviour  of  the  world"  (4  :  39-42).      The  whole  outlook  of  Jesus  in 
chapters  14-17  is  world-  wide.    His  disciples  are  left  hi  the  "  world" 
(17:9,  11,  13,  14,  15,  16),  and  are   destined   to  affect  the  life  of 
the  "  world  "  (17  :  23). 

3.  Recur  again  to  Jesus'  strongly  exclusive  utterances,  like  Matt. 
10  :  5,  6,  and  note  that  He  was  simply   continuing  the  policy  God 
had  long  been  carrying  out.      Paul,  who  in  his  own  personal  expe- 
rience   passed    out    from    extreme   Jewish    narrowness    of  view   to 
great  breadth  of  vision,  looked  over   the  long  course  of  history,  and 
discovered  that  the  reason  for  God's   temporary  concentration  of  at- 
tention upon  a  few  was  that  He  might,  in  the  end,  more  effectively 
include  all  (Rom.  11  :  32).     Jesus  seems  to  have  adopted  the  same 
policy  in  selecting  and  training  the  Twelve. 

4.  One  of  the  most  impressive  features  in  the  life  and  character  of 
Jesus  was  the  quiet  confidence  with  which  He  held  views  that  His 
immediate  contemporaries  failed  to  understand.      When  they  failed  to 
catch  His  conception  of  a  non-Jewish  World-  Empire,  He  manifested  no 
nervousness,  but  was  tranquilly  confident  that  in  time  they  would  un- 
derstand Him.     The  Deace  of  a  soul  that  had  come  out  of  eternity 
seemed  to  be  His. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  II. — 3fe0ti0'  Conception  of  tlje  Eingtiont  of 

FOURTH  DAY  :   THE  CONDITIONS  OF  ENTRANCE  INTO  THE 
KINGDOM  ACCORDING  TO  THE  SYNOPTIC  GOSPELS 

1 .  We  have  seen  that  Jesus  planned  to  have  others  besides  Jews  in 
His  Kingdom,  although  His  immediate  contemporaries  did  not  fully 
understand  this.      His  radical  views  were  more  unmistakably  evident 
in   His  friendly  approach  to  certain  classes  of  society  contemptuously 
abandoned  by  the  religious  authorities  of  the  day,  and  in  His  encour- 
agement of  them  to  expect  that  they  might  find  a  place  in  the  King- 
dom.     The  "submerged  tenth"  of  that  day  were  technically  called 
"shiners."      They  had  fallen  away  from  the  synagogue  service,  and 
were  dropped  from  all  reputable  social   life.      They  were  the  non- 
church-goers  in   a  society  in  which   church-going  was  the  mark  of 
respectability.      Prominent  among  this  class  were  the    "  publicans," 
persons  who  were  willing  to  make  money  out  of  the  humiliation  of 
their  nation  by  collecting  taxes  under  the  Roman  government.      Jesus 
entered  so  freely  and  genially  into  the  social  life  of  these  persons,  that 
His  enemies  characterized  Him  as  the  boon  companion  of  such,  and 
circulated  the   slanderous    statement  that   He  was  over-fond  of  good 
food  and  fine  wines  (Luke  7  :  34).      In  further  statement  of  Jesus' 
relation  to  these  classes,  summarize  the  information  found  in  Mark  2  : 
13-17  ;   Luke  15:1,2;   7  :  36-50  ;    Matt.  21  :  31. 

2.  Although  Jesus   seemed   to  the  religious  authorities  so  scandal- 
ously lax,  He  did  make  certain  strenuous  demands  that  seemed  to  Him 
more  important  than  those  made  by  the  Pharisees  (Matt.  5  :  20.) 

Consider  the  requirement  made  in  the  following  passages  : 
Matt.  4:17;  11:20;  12:41;  Mark  6:7-12;  Luke  13  :  i  -  5  ; 
15:7;  24  :  47.  Write  out  such  a  definition  of  the  word  "  repent  " 
as  you  imagine  Jesus  would  have  given  had  He  been  asked  for  one,  as 
was  John  the  Baptist  (Luke  3  :  8-10).  Repent  of  what?  How  does 
it  differ  from  remorse  ?  To  what  extent  is  it  intellectual,  and  to  what 
extent  emotional  ? 

3.  Jesus'  fundamental  appeal  was  for  an  honest  life,  for  a  frank  ad- 
mission of  all  the  facts.     Consequently,  when  He  stood  on  the  thresh- 
old of  the  Kingdom  with  this  call  for  repentance,  He  was  not  making 
an  arbitrary  demand,  but  one,  in  the  very  nature  of  the  case,  essential 
to  an  honest  life.      The  first  fact  to  be  frankly  admitted  is  the  fact  of 
personal  wrongdoing. 

12 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  II.  —  ^efittfii*  Conception  of  t&e  Eing&om  of  (S5oDi 


FIFTH  DAY  :    CONDITIONS  OF  ENTRANCE  INTO  THE  KING- 

DOM   ACCORDING    TO    THE    SYNOPTIC    GOSPELS  (CONCLUDED) 

I  .  Notice  the  fundamental  condition  implied  in  Matt.  7:21,  and 
compare  it  with  Matt.  6  :  10.  What  is  the  relation  of  this  condition 
to  "repentance,"  the  condition  discussed  yesterday  ? 

2.  Consider  the  condition  implied  in  Matt.    10  :  37—39  ;    Luke 
14:  26,  where  being  the  Messiah's  "disciple"  is  equivalent  to  en- 
tering the  Kingdom,  for  a  "  disciple,"  or  "  learner,"   is  one  who  is 
learning  from  the  Messiah  how  to  live  the  daily  life  of  His  Kingdom. 
Naturally  no  one  could  find  a  place  in  the  Kingdom,  who  would  not 
yield  supreme  allegiance  to  the  King.      Since  Jesus  stands  as  the  rep- 
resentative of  His  "  Father,"  consider  how  this  condition  is  related 
to  the  one  mentioned  in  the  last  paragraph. 

3.  Consider  the  condition  stated  in  Matt.  18:3;   19  :  14.    What 
particular  quality  of  childhood  does  the  context  of  18:3  indicate  that 
Jesus  had  in  mind  ? 

4.  The  qualities  specified  in  Matt.  5:2-12  are  not  so  much  con- 
ditions to  be  fulfilled  in  order  to  enter,  as  they  are  characteristics  of  life 
in  the  Kingdom.     Jesus'  frequent  words  of  comfort  for  the  poor,  and 
of  warning  to  the  rich,  might  create  the  impression  that  poverty  is  a 
condition  of  admission,  but  closer  examination  does  not  corroborate  the 
impression.      Luke  6  :  20  does  not  say   that  only  the   poor,  or  those 
only  poor,  enter  the  Kingdom,  and  hi  Matt.  19  :  23,  24,  where  the 
difficulty  of  entering  in  is  so  strongly  stated,  it  is  said  nevertheless  to 
be  possible. 

5.  We  are  not   to  think  of  Jesus   as   standing  at  the  door  of  the 
Kingdom  trying  to  keep  people  out  by  establishing  conditions  hard  to 
meet.      He  stands  rather,   now   as   then,   inviting  all  men  into  His 
Kingdom,  and  merely  pointing  out,  with  unmistakable  clearness,  the 
way  to  attain  the  character  that  alone  makes  life  in  the  Kingdom  de- 
sirable. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  II.  —  '3fefittfi»'  Conception  of  tlje  J&ingliom  of 

SIXTH    DAY  :    CONDITIONS    OF    ENTERING    THE    KINGDOM 
ACCORDING  TO  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN 

1.  In  the  Gospel  of  John,  as  has  already  been  seen,  the  expression 
"Kingdom  of  God'*  occurs  in  only  one  passage.      Its  place  seems  to 
be  taken  hy  the  phrase   "eternal  life."      See  the  trace  of  a  similar 
identification  in  the  Synoptic  Gospels,  Mark  9  :  45-47. 

2.  In  the  one  place  in  the  Gospel  of  John  where  the  phrase  occurs, 
namely,  3:  3-5,  the  condition  of  entering  the  Kingdom  is  stated  in 
unique  language.      If,  in  this  passage,  instead  of  the  expression  "King- 
dom of  God"  we  read  "eternal  life,"  its  usual  equivalent,  the  ap- 
propriateness of  the  language  becomes  evident.      Entering  the  King- 
dom is  beginning  the  eternal  life,  and  the  beginning  of  life  is  naturally 
called  birth.      In   v.  5  Jesus  rebukes   the   Pharisees,    represented   by 
Nicodemus,  for  haying  rejected    John  the   Baptist's    water  baptism 
(cf.  Matt.    21  :  24,  25),  which  stood  for  repentance  (Mark  1:4). 
John  had  spoken  of  a  water  baptism  and  a  Spirit  bapdsm  (Mark  I  : 
8),  and  Jesus  here  adopts  and  vindicates  his  message.      "  You  should 
have  repented  and  been  baptized  with  John's  water  baptism,  and  have 
been  waiting  for  the  Spirit  baptism."       In  other  words,  there  is  need 
of  repentance  and  forgiveness  for  the  sin  of  the  past,  and  of  association 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  in  order  to  prevent  sin  in  the  future. 

3.  The  condition  of  entering  the  Kingdom  is  most  frequently  stated 
in  the  Gospel  of  John  as  ''believing,"  the  verb  "  to  believe  "  oc- 
curring more  than  ninety  times.      Note  especially  5  :  24  ;  6  :  40-47  ; 
9  :  35'3^-     The   object  of  the  "believing"  is  generally  a  person. 
Note  the  two  persons  specified  in  5  :  23,  24  and  6  :  40.      Why  does 
belief  in  one  involve  belief  in  the  other  ?     Cf.  i  2  :  44. 

To  believe  in  a  person  is  to  accept  him  as  being  what  he  represents 
himself  to  be,  and  to  treat  him  accordingly.  To  believe  in  Jesus  was 
to  accept  Him  as  what  He  represented  Himself  to  be,  namely,  one 
sent  out  from  God  to  reveal  God,  and,  as  soon  as  it  became  evident 
that  He  considered  Himself  the  Messianic  Son  of  God,  to  accept  Him 
as  such  and  to  treat  Him  accordingly,  namely,  to  worship  Him.  See 
again  in  9  :  35-38  the  vivid  picture  of  a  man  in  the  act  of  beginning 
*o  believe  in  Jesus.  What  is  it  to  worship  Jesus  ?  Consider  whether 
fhis  condition  differs  essentially  from  those  already  stated. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  II.  —  Jeans'  Conception  of  t&e  Kingdom  of 
SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

1.  Look  back  over  the  conditions  of  entrance  into  the  Kingdom 
discovered  in  the  work  of  the  last  three  days,  and   see  whether  there 
is  any  one  essential  act  common  to   them  all.      Then  review   all   the 
Studies  of  the  week,  and  gather  up  the  principal  points. 

2.  Before  turning  from  this  study  of  the  conditions  of  entrance  into 
the  Kingdom,  consider  the  eagerness  of  Jesus  to  have  men  meet  them. 
Read  Luke  9:1-6  and  10  :  1-16,  noting  their  strenuous  tone.      Im- 
agine the  Twelve  and  the  Seventy  hurrying   (10  :  4)  from  village  to 
village,  having  caught  something  of  their  Master's  eager  sense  of  the 
nearness  of  the  Kingdom.      Imagine  how  Jesus  felt  while  they  were 
out,  realizing,  as  others  did  not,  the  full  significance  of  what  was  hap- 
pening in  such  an   apparently  casual   way   to   these   busy   men   and 
women  of  Chorazin  and  Bethsaida.      Read  Luke  10  :  12-16.      Con- 
sider whether  the  situation  is  essentially  changed  to-day. 

"  They  ate,  they  drank,  they  married,  they  were  given  in  mar- 
riage, until  the  day  that  Noah  entered  into  the  ark,  and  the  flood 
came  and  destroyed  them  all.  Likewise  even  as  it  came  to  pass  in  the 
days  of  Lot  ;  they  ate,  they  drank,  they  bought,  they  sold,  they 
planted,  they  builded  ;  but  in  the  day  that  Lot  went  out  from  Sodom 
it  rained  fire  and  brimstone  from  heaven,  and  destroyed  them  all  : 
after  the  same  manner  shall  it  be  in  the  day  that  the  Son  of  Man 
is  revealed.  .  .  .  But  take  heed  to  yourselves,  lest  haply  your 
hearts  be  overcharged  with  surfeiting,  and  drunkenness,  and  cares  of 
this  life,  and  that  day  come  on  you  suddenly  as  a  snare  :  for  so  shall 
it  come  upon  all  them  that  dwell  upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth.  . 
And  when  He  drew  nigh,  He  saw  the  city  and  wept  over  it,  saying, 
If  thou  hadst  known  in  this  day,  even  thou,  the  things  which  belong 
unto  peace  !  "—Luke  17  :  27-30  ;  21  :  34,  35  ;  19  :  41,  42. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  III.—  JJegttg'  Conception  of  t&e  fcinffUom  of 

(  Continued  ) 
FIRST  DAY  :  THE  RIGHTEOUSNESS  OF  THE  KINGDOM 

1.  This  subject   will  be  discussed  in  detail  in  Part  III.,  which  is 
devoted  to  Jesus'  conception  of  the  disciple  and  his  mission.      It  is 
necessary  here,  however,  to  see  in  general  what  Jesus  was  aiming  to 
secure,  in  order  to  understand  what  He  thought  the  chief  business  of 
the  Messiah  ought  to  be. 

2.  Everybody   knew  that   the  coming  Kingdom  of  God  would  be 
one    in   which   "righteousness"    would  prevail.      Those  who   were 
chiefly  anticipating  its  political  freedom  or  its  amelioration  of  unfavor- 
able social  and  industrial  conditions,  assumed,  in  theory  at  least,  that 
only  righteous  persons  would  be  found  in  it.      It  was  to  be  a  political 
and  social  organization  of  righteous  Jews. 

3.  The   great  unsettled    question    was,   What    constitutes    a    man 
righteous  ?     On  this  question  Jesus  held  decided  views.    Examine  His 
sharp  criticism  of  the  current  Pharisaic  theory  of  righteousness  in  Matt. 
5  :  20  ;    23  :  1-7  and  13-28,  and  ascertain  what  the  fundamental  dif- 
ficulty  with    the    Pharisees   was  ;    that  is,  what  essential   element  of 
righteousness,  as  Jesus  conceived  it,  they  lacked. 

4.  As  a  further  illustration  of  the  current  Pharisaic  conception  and 
Jesus'  criticism  of  it,  study  in  Luke  18:9-14  the  companion  pictures 
drawn  by  Jesus,  remembering  that  the  words  "unjust"  and  "  justi- 
fied "  represent  Greek  words  that  might  be  translated  "unrighteous" 
and  "to  pronounce  righteous."       What  essential  element   of  right- 
eousness, according  to  Jesus'  conception  of  it,  did  this  Pharisee  lack  ? 

5.  A  part  of  the  current   Pharisaic   conception   of  righteousness  is 
seen  in  the  Talmud  to  be  the  idea  that  each  individual  act  of  obedi- 
ence to  law  has  in  God's   eyes  a  distinct  value,  to  be  balanced  against 
definite  acts  of  disobedience.      God  was  like  a  great  book-keeper,  con- 
stantly watching   men    and   keeping   accurate  account   of  their  moral 
debits  and  credits.      A  certain  rabbi  is  represented  in  the  Talmud  as 
uncertain  how  his  account  stood  at  the  end  of  his  life,  and  as  giving 
half  of  his  property  to  the  poor  in  order  to  insure  his  entrance  into  the 
Kingdom  (Weber,  Die  Lehren  des  Talmud).      This  throws  light  on 
the  question  attributed  in  Matt.   1  9  :  1  6  to  the  exemplary  young  man 
who  sought  to  get,  from  one  whom  he  regarded  as  a  prophet,  a   pro- 
fessional opinion  as  to  what  was  necessary  in  order  to  make  the  account 
balance  in  his  favor. 

16 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  III.  —  Jesus'  Conception  of  t|je  Kingdom  of 

(  Continued) 

SECOND    DAY  :    THE     RIGHTEOUSNESS     OF    THE    KINGDOM 
(CONCLUDED) 

i  .  Jesus'  criticism  of  the  current  Pharisaic  conception  of  the  right- 
eousness of  the  coming  Kingdom  has  been  considered,  and  there  is 
need  now  to  look  directly  for  His  own  view.  If  it  is  correct  to  de- 
fine righteousness  in  general  as  the  state  of  being  rightly  related  to  one's 
environments,  namely,  to  God  and  man,  the  question  is,  What  did 
Jesus  consider  to  constitute  such  right  relation  ?  Jesus'  most  direct 
reply  to  this  question  is  found  in  Luke  10  :  25-28.  These  two 
commandments  are  said  in  Matt.  22  :  39  to  be  alike.  Is  it  fair  to 
say  that  obedience  to  either  involves  obedience  to  the  other  ?  If  a 
man  is  doing  one,  is  he  surely  doing  the  other  ?  If  Jesus  had  been 
content  with  something  less  fundamental  than  the  production  of  this 
kind  of  righteousness  in  every  individual,  He  might  have  established  a 
Kingdom  without  suffering. 

2.  Of  course  the  question  that  at  once  arises  is,  Who  may  rightly 
be  called  my  *  <  neighbor  '  '  ?      Must  a  man  not  do  something  in  order 
to  become  my  "  neighbor  "  ?      Or  may  a   man  not  do    something  by 
which  he  will  forfeit  his  right  to  the  title  "  neighbor  "  ?     Study  Luke 
10  :    29-37,  and   put  Jesus'  reply  to  the   question  in  your  own  lan- 
guage.     What  bearing  on  the  question  has  Luke  6  :  27-38  ? 

3.  Note  in  passing  that,  as   the   expression  "  Kingdom  of  God," 
with  one  exception,  does  not  appear   in  the  Gospel   of  John,  so  the 
word    "  righteousness  "    is    not   used   of   the    believer.     The   word 
which  seems  to  take  its  place  is  found  in  3  :  2  1  . 

4.  An  impressive  feature   of  Jesus'  conception   of  righteousness  is 
the  high  place  it  gives  to  man.      A  man  may  have  the   same  kind  of 
righteousness  that    God  has.      Read  Matt.   5  :  48.      Righteousness  is 
one  thing   everywhere  in  the   moral  universe,  and   he  who  has  it  is 
thereby  made  akin  to  that  which  is  highest  and  best  in  the  universe. 

"When  shall  all  men's  good 
Be  each  man's  rule,  and  universal  Peace 
Lie  like  a  shaft  of  light  across  the  land, 
And  like  a  lane  of  beams  athwart  the  sea, 
Thro'  all  the  circle  of  the  golden  year  ?  '  ' 

—  TENNYSON,  The  Golden  Tear. 

17 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 

STUDY  III. — 3>0tt0'  Conception  of  t&e  Kingdom  of  (55oU 

(  Continued) 

THIRD  DAY  :  THE  TIME  OF  THE  KINGDOM 

1.  When  did  Jesus  expect  His  conception  of  the  Kingdom  to  be 
realized  ?     Was  it  a  present  reality,  or  a  future  expectation  ?     These 
questions  have  occasioned  perplexity  and  diversity  of  opinion. 

2.  He  most  frequently  spoke  of  it  as  something  future.      Examine 
each  of  the  following   passages  with    care,  inquiring    in    each  case, 
whether  the  language  implies  that  Jesus  expected  the  Kingdom  to  be 
established  in  the  future.      Notice,  more  exactly,  in  each  case,  wheth- 
er it  is  the  beginning  of  the  Kingdom  that  is  thought   of  as  future,  or 
whether  it  is  some  phase  of  a  developing    Kingdom,  already  begun, 
that  is  thought  of  as  future.      Perhaps  the  language  will  not   enable 
you  to  tell  in  all  cases.      Examine  first  Matt.  6  :  10.     Does  "  come  " 
here  mean  "begin"?      Examine    Matt.   7:21-23.      "Enter"    it 
when  ?     What  is  meant  by  "that   day  "  ?     Examine  Matt.  8  :  n, 
12.      Is  the  Messianic  banquet  the  beginning  of  the  Kingdom  ?     Note 
here  that   the  righteous   dead  are  thought  of  as  being   present  at  the 
banquet.      In  Matt.  25  134  the  "Kingdom  "  mentioned  is  evidently 
the  Kingdom  of  God.      Take  account  of  the  very  distinct   statement 
of  Luke  19:  ii  fF.      What  is  meant    here  by  the  word  * '  appear  ' '  ? 
Consider  also  Luke  21:31;   22:  18.      Do  you  think  of  any  other 
passages  that  speak  of  the  Kingdom  as  future  ? 

3.  Suspend  the  study  at  this  point,  and  endeavor  to  bring  yourself 
into  sympathy  with  the  profound  enthusiasm  and  anticipation  of  Jesus, 
as  He  stood  peering  into  the  future  and  seeing  that 

"  far-off  divine  event, 
To  which  the  whole  creation  moves." 

Think  of  His  solemn  and  inspiring  pledge,  as  He  stood,  cup  in  hand, 
at  the  Last  Supper  (Luke  22  :  17-18).  How  great  a  thing  it  must 
be  that  would  so  stir  the  soul  of  Jesus  ! 


IS 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  "Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  III.  —  ^efiufi*  Conception  of  t&e  Einjjtoom  of 

(  Continued) 
FOURTH  DAY  :  THE  TIME  OF  THE  KINGDOM  (CONTINUED) 

i  .  Consider  to-day  the  utterances  of  Jesus  that  speak  of  the  King- 
dom as  a  present  fact.  The  following  are  some  of  the  most  distinct. 
Examine  Luke  16  :  16  (Matt.  II  :  12),  which  seems  to  refer  to  the 
violent  rush  of  men  toward  the  Kingdom  without  such  adequate  un- 
derstanding of  its  real  character  as  Jesus  was  endeavoring  to  give. 
The  passage  seems  to  distinguish  two  eras,  the  second  of  which  is 
already  begun.  Is  it  legitimate  to  suppose  that  Matt.  13:11  refers 
to  the  Kingdom  itself  as  a  present  phenomenon  ?  In  what  sense  had 
the  Kingdom  "come  upon  "  them,  in  Matt.  12  :  28  ?  Does  Matt. 
6:33  mean  seek  to  enter  in  now,  or  in  the  future  ?  What  does 
Luke  10  :  1  1  indicate  as  to  time  ?  Did  Jesus  mean,  in  Mark  12  :  34, 
that  he  could  have  entered  the  Kingdom  then  and  there?  Study 
carefully  Luke  1  7  :  20,  2  1  ,  which  raises  the  exact  question  we  are 
discussing  here.  Does  the  word  "  you  "  designate  the  particular 
Pharisees  that  were  talking  with  Him,  or  is  it  equivalent  to  the  in- 
definite pronoun,  "  within  one  "  ?  Note  that  the  Greek  words 
translated  "within  you"  might  be  translated  "  within  your  vicin- 
age," or,  as  the  margin  indicates,  "among  you."  In  any  case, 
does  the  passage  represent  the  Kingdom  as  present,  or  future  ?  Make 
note  of  any  other  passages  that  seem  to  you  possibly  to  represent  the 
Kingdom  as  present  in  time. 

2.  Bring  yourself  into  sympathy  with  Jesus  in  thinking  of  the 
Kingdom  of  God  as  a  present  opportunity  confronting  every  man.  Is 
there  any  sense  in  which  a  man  to-day  may  be  assured  that,  however 
slow  he  may  have  been  to  recognize  it,  nevertheless  the  Kingdom  of 
God  has  come  nigh  him  ;  that  there  starts  from  every  man's  feet  a 
path  that  leads  to  God  ?  If  this  be  so,  daily  life  takes  on  a  n^w  sig- 
nificance and  dignity. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  "Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  III.  —  Jt&ntf  Conception  of  t&e  Einjjtoom  of 

(  Continued  ) 
FIFTH    DAY  :    THE  TIME  OF  THE  KINGDOM  (CONCLUDED) 

I  .  We  have  seen  that  Jesus  regarded  the  Kingdom  as,  in  some  sense, 
a  present  fact  and  also,  in  some  sense,  a  future  expectation.  These  two 
aspects  of  the  Kingdom  may  be  combined  in  the  conception  of  a 
growing  Kingdom,  a  Kingdom  regarded  by  Jesus  as,  at  the  time,  in 
existence  and  as  destined,  in  the  future,  to  experience  certain  new  and 
glorious  manifestations  of  the  power  of  God. 

2.  Consider  whether  the  following  passages  afford  evidence  that 
Jesus  conceived  of  such  a  growing  Kingdom.      What  is  the  point  of  the 
illustration  in   Matt.    13:31,  32?     Is  the  comparison  between   the 
meagre  preliminary  signs  of  the  coming  Kingdom  and  the  greatness 
of  the  Kingdom,  or  between  the  small,  though  real,  beginnings  of  the 
Kingdom  and  its  final  greatness  ?     What  is  the  point  of  the  illustration 
in   Matt.    13  :  33  ?     In   Mark  4  :  26-29  is  it  the  "  harvest,'  '  or  the 
"sowing,"  that  constitutes  the  beginning  of  the   Kingdom?     Study 
carefully  Matt.    13:24-30,   36-43.      Does  Jesus   conceive  that   the 
Kingdom  begins  at  the  "consummation  of  the  age"  (v.  40  margin), 
or  that  it  had  begun  before  ? 

3.  If  the  supposition  that  Jesus  conceived  of  a  growing   Kingdom 
be  justifiable,  we  may  think  of  Jesus  as  its  Founder  and  King.      He 
came  stating  the  conditions  of  entrance,  and  as  fast  as  men  fulfilled 
these  conditions  they  became  subjects  in  the  Kingdom.      The  begin- 
nings, therefore,  were  small  and  insignificant,  for  but  few  men  seemed 
to  understand  and  meet,  even  partially,  the  real  conditions  stated  by 
Jesus.       Yet,  like  the  farmer  who  goes   his  way  by  day  and  sleeps 

^  soundly  by  night  after  having  put  his  seed  into  the  ground,  Jesus  felt 
confident  that  these  beginnings  would  develop  until  a  time  called  the 
"consummation  of  the  age"  (Matt.  13  :  39).  Then  some  new  and 
glorious  manifestation  of  the  Kingdom  would  be  made  (Luke  21  :  27- 
31  ;  Matt.  13  :  43),  in  which  the  righteous  dead  would  have  a  part 
(Matt.  8  :  n).  Apparently  the  general  judgment  and  the  putting 
away  of  the  wicked  were  expected  to  precede  this  manifestation 
(Matt.  13:41-43). 

"  The  society  He  was  there  to  create  was  never  to  die  ;  was  to 
epread  through  every  land  as  through  all  time  ;  was  to  bind  the  ages 
in  a  wonderful  harmony  of  spirit  and  purpose,  man  in  a  mystic  broth- 
erhood of  faith  and  love."  —  Fairbairn,  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 

20 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 

STUDY  III. — '•jft&ns'  Conception  of  tfje  Kingdom  of  <0oU 
{Continued) 

SIXTH  DAY  :  THE  PLACE  OF  THE  KINGDOM 

1 .  We  know  that  the  earth  is  the  scene  of  the  growing  Kingdom 
(Matt.   13  :  38),  but  the  teaching  of  Jesus  regarding  the  place  where 
the  Kingdom  is  to  find  its  ultimate,  glorious  manifestation  is  not  distinct. 

2.  Examine  each   of  the   following   references  to   the   coming   of 
Jesus  in  the  glory  of  His  Kingdom,  see  where  it   is  that  He  appears, 
and  note  whether  there  is   any   indication  as    to  where  the    Kingdom 
will    find    place:    Luke     17:20-37;     18:8;    21:25-28;    Matt. 
24  :  36-42.      Consider  the  bearing  of  Matt.  6  :  10. 

3.  Some  of  the  references  cited  above  seem  to  indicate  that  the 
earth  is  to  be  the  scene  of  the  perfected  Kingdom.      In  John   14:2 
a  statement    is  found  which  seems  to  indicate    some    locality    other 
than  the  earth.      See  also  John  1 7  :  24. 

4.  The  teaching  of  Jesus  as  recorded  in  the  Gospels,  which  is  all 
we  have  to  consider  here,  is,  then,  not  explicit  upon  this  point.     Pos- 
sibly, taken  as  a  whole,  it  affords  ground  for  saying  that  this  earth  is 
to  be  a  part  of  the  place  where  the  perfected  Kingdom  is  to  exist,  but 
not  the  whole  of  it.      Anticipate  for  a  moment   the   apostolic   view, 
found  in  Rev.  21  :  1-4;   Rom.  8  :  19-23,  that  a   transformed  earth 
will  be  the  scene  of  the  Kingdom. 

5.  It  would  seem  as  though  there  must  necessarily  be  vagueness 
and  uncertainty  regarding   the  place  where  Jesus'  ideal  human  civil- 
ization shall  be  realized.      We  know  little  of  the  physical  conditions 
that  are  to  prevail  in  the  long  future,  of  natural  forces  and  the  achieve- 
ments of  man  possible  through  the  increasing  control  of  them,  and, 
therefore,  an  explicit  statement  regarding  the  location  of  the  ultimate 
Kingdom    seems    impossible.      It    certainly  seems,   from   an  a  priori 
stand-point,  probable  that  more  of  the   universe  than  this  little  planet 
will   ultimately  be   utilized   for   the   Kingdom,   especially    since  Jesus 
represents  that  it  will  include  the  righteous  dead  (Matt.  8  :  1 1). 

"  O  sweet  and  blessed  country, 
The  home  of  God's  elect  ! 
O  sweet  and  blessed  country 
That  eager  hearts  expect  ! 
Jesus,  in  mercy  bring  us 
To  that  dear  land  of  rest  ! 
Who  art,  with  God  the  Father, 
And  Spirit,  ever  blest." — Bernard  of  Cluny. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  III.  —  Je^ufi*  Conception  of  tfje  J&ingttom  of 

{Concluded} 

SEVENTH  DAY  :    REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

I  .  Try  to  make  a  brief  statement,  in  two  or  three  sentences,  of 
Jesus'  conception  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  Let  it  express  what  you 
conceive  to  be  His  teaching  on  the  following  points  among  others  : 
God's  place  in  the  Kingdom  ;  the  place  of  Jesus  Christ  ;  who  may  be 
subjects  ;  its  aim,  or  the  character  of  its  life  ;  the  place  and  time  of 
its  realization. 

2.  Jesus'  conception  of  the  Kingdom  differed  from  current  concep- 
tions (i)  in  the  unobtrusive  character  of  its  origin  and  growth  ;  (2)  in 
the  entire  absence  of  political  organization  ;  (  3  )  in  the  kind  of  persons 
eligible  for  citizenship.      Add  to  these  any  other  differences  that  occur 
to  you. 

3.  The  world,  in  its  progressive  thinking  regarding  the  destiny  of 
humanity,  is  simply  making  progress  in  understanding  the  thought  of 
Jesus.      "Back  to  Jesus  Christ  "  is  the  cry  with  which  every  forward 
movement   must  begin.      In    His  mind  lay,  and  lies,  the  conception 
that  is  slowly  being  realized   in   human  history.      He  is  not  a  mere 
spectator,  but  is  Himself  the  executor  of  His  ideal.      The  history  of 
Christian  civilization,  with  whatever  of  steady  development  or  abrupt 
catastrophe  the  future  may  have  in  store,  will  be  not  merely  the  un- 
folding of  Jesus'  thought,  but  the  developing  product  of  His  personal 
activity.      And  it  is  such  an  one  that  we  daily  worship  as  Lord  and 
Friend! 


22 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  IV.  —  Jtfttfi'  Conception  of  |)itn0elf  an&  J)i0 
FIRST  DAY  :  THE  SON  OF  MAN 

1.  We  have  now  to  take  up   for  extended   study  two   questions 
that  cannot  be  considered  separately,  namely,    Whom  did  Jesus  think 
Himself  to   be  ?   and,   What  did   He   consider  to  be  His  chief  busi- 
ness ?     As  was  evident  in  Study  I.,  according  to  the  Synoptic  Gospels 
Jesus    did   not    make  frequent   explicit   statements  on   these  subjects, 
though  there  seemed  always  to  be  certain  great  assumptions  underlying 
His  life.      The  character  of  these  -assumptions  we  have  to  ascertain,  as 
best  we  can,  by  a  study  of  such  indications  of  their  presence  as  crop 
out  upon  the  surface. 

2.  It  is  appropriate  to  begin  with  the  study  of  His  favorite  designa- 
tion of  Himself,  "  Son  of  Man."      It  is  rightly  called  His  own  desig- 
nation, for  he  rarely  called  Himself  by  any  other  name  according  to 
the  Synoptic  Gospels,  and  no  one  else,  with  a  single  exception  (Acts 
7  :  56),  ever  applied  it  to  him.      In  John  12  :  34  the  people  simply 
catch  up  the  phrase  in  perplexity  from  His  lips.      Since  He  used  this 
title  so  frequently,  it  would  seem  as  though  a  study  of  its  significance 
ought  to  give  some  general  clew  to  Jesus'  conception  of  Himself  and 
His  mission. 

3  .  The  phrase  is  found  in  the  Old  Testament,  used  hi  several  senses. 
(i)  See  Ezekiel  2:1;  3:1;  4:1;  and  elsewhere  in  Ezekiel  ;  (2) 
see  Ps.  8  :  4  ;  Num.  23  :  19  ;  and  elsewhere  in  Old  Testament  poetry  ; 
(3)  see  Dan.  7  :  13  ff.,  where  it  seems  to  symbolize  the  Kingdom  of 
God's  saints  (note  especially  v.  18).  Note  in  Matt.  16:27; 
26  :  64  the  evidence  that  Jesus  had  Dan.  7  :  1  3  in  mind  in  His  use  of 
the  tide. 

4.  That  it  was  not  popularly  understood  to  be  a  Messianic  title  is 
evident  from  the  fact,  brought  out  in  Study  I.,  that  Jesus  was  not  un- 
derstood to  have  declared  Himself  to  be  the  Messiah,  though  He  reg- 
ularly called  Himself  by  this  title.   The  evidence  in  the  Gospels  forces 
us  to  this  conclusion,  even  though  hi  chapters  37-71  of  the  composite 
"  Book  of  Enoch,"  which  are  probably  pre-Christian,  the  title  seems 
to  be  used  in  the  Messianic  sense. 

5.  Granting  that  Jesus  wished,  perhaps,  to  suggest  the  possibility 
of  His  Messiahship  without  asserting  it,  do  you  see  anything  about 
Dan.  7:13  that  made  the  title  "Son  of  Man  "  suitable  to  His  pur- 
pose ? 

23 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  IV. — JJefitifii'  Conception  of  ^imgelf  anto  |)i0 

SECOND  DAY  :    THE  SON  OF  MAN  (CONCLUDED) 

1.  Passages  like  Matthew  16  :  27  and  26  :  64  show  that,  in   the 
mind  of  Jesus,  there  were  royal  associations  connected  with  the  title 
"Son  of  Man,"  such  as  are  suggested   by  its  use  in  Dan.  7:13. 
Examine  the   following  passages,  in  order  to  see  whether  they  give 
evidence  of  the  same  :  Matt.  9:6;   12:8;    13  :  41  ;    19  :  28  ;   24  : 
27»  30*  37,  39- 

2.  It  would  seem  as  though  the  use  of  the  title  must  of  necessity, 
by  virtue  of  its  very  form,  have  expressed  a  conscious  connection  of 
its  possessor  with  humanity.      Such  a  conception  would  accord  with 
Jesus*  habit   of  freely  mingling  with  men,  finding  a  reason  for  hearty 
sympathy  with  all  classes  in  the  fact  of  a  common  humanity.      Note 
in  this  connection  Luke  7  :  34  ;  the  many  references  to  the  multitude, 
particularly  the  one  that  describes  the  threatened  panic,  Luke  12:1; 
the  association  with  even  the  social  outcasts,  Luke  15:1;  and  His 
sympathetic  justification  of  His  conduct,  Mark  2  :  16-17. 

3.  Possibly,  also,  the  use  of  the  title  expressed  a  consciousness  of 
humble,  man-like  dependence  upon  God  ( Dalman,  * '  Die  Worte  Jesu' ' ) , 
and  the  purpose  to  discard  all  use  of  force  in  the  establishment  of  His 
Kingdom.      Examine  in  this  connection  Matt.  8:20;    12:32;    17: 
22  ;    and    particularly    the   impressive    utterance  in    Matt.    20  :  28. 
This  last  passage   will  be   considered   in  another  connection,    and  is 
cited  now  simply  for  the  light  it  throws  on  the  meaning  of  the  title 
"Son  of  Man"  to  the  mind  of  Jesus. 

4.  In  all  this  study  try,  in  a  spirit  of  historical  accuracy  as  well  as 
personal  devotion,   to  enter  reverently  into  the  experience  or   Jesus. 
One  feels  his  utter  inability  to  do  this  fully ;  but  in  part  it  may  be 
done,  and  we  may  find  that  He  became  the  "Son  of  Man"  that  it 
might  be  done.      Our  natures  are  often  shut  up  to  themselves  'and  to 
those  in  certain  select  particulars  like  themselves.      They  do  not  open 
out  broadly,  as  did  that  of  Jesus,  to  all  men,  finding  in  our  common 
humanity  a  reason  for  enjoying  their  society. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  IV.  —  Degas'  Conception  of  pimfielf  anU  ibis 
THIRD  DAY  :  THE  SON  OF  GOD 

1.  An  individual  knows  himself  always  in  personal  relations,  and 
can  adequately  describe  himself  only  by  indicating  what  his  relations  to 
other  persons  are.      We  have  tried  to  see  what  Jesus  meant  by  calling 
Himself  "  Son  of  Man,"  and  we  have  now   to   seek   for  the   signif- 
icance of  another  title  that  He  applied  to  Himself  and  that  is  also  ex- 
pressive   of  personal  relationship.      The  title  "Son  of  God"  is  no* 
explicitly  used  by  Jesus  of  Himself  in  the  Synoptic  Gospels,  but  He 
refers  to  God  as  His  *  *  Father  '  '  twenty-one  times  in  Matthew,  and  to 
Himself  as  "Son  "in  one  remarkable  passage.      Read  very  carefully 
Matt.  1  1  :  25-27,  and  its  close  parallel,  Luke  10  :  21,  22,  and  con- 
sider whether  the  expression    '  '  the  Son  '  '  is   fairly  taken  to  mean  the 
Son  of  God. 

2.  According  to  the  Synoptic   Gospels,  Jesus   heard  others  apply 
the  title  to  Him,  and  did  not  deny  that  it  belonged  to  Him.      Read 
Matt.    3  :  17  in  connection   with    4  :  3-6  ;     8:  29;    14:33;    16: 
16  ;    17:5;   26  :  63,  64. 

3.  In  the  Gospel  of  John,  Jesus  is  represented  as  calling  Himself  by 
this  title  in    5  :  25  ;    9:35    (though    some    manuscripts    here    read 
"  Son  of  man  ")  ;    10  :  36  ;    1  1  :  4.      He  calls  God  "  His  Father  " 
more  than  one  hundred  times,  and  frequently  speaks  of  Himself  as  the 
"  Son,"  where  the  connection  shows  clearly  that  He  means  "  Son  of 
God,"   e.g.,    5  :  19-23.      He  is  represented  also   as   permitting  the 
title  to  be  applied  to  Him  by  others.      Read  I  :  49  ;    11:27. 

4.  On  the  origin  of  this  phrase,  see  Study  I.,  First  Day,  paragraph 
4.      We  are  now  ready  to  inquire  what  the  expression  meant  to  Jesus, 
and  what  it  indicates  as  to  His  conception  of  Himself  and  His  work. 
This  will  be  undertaken  to-morrow. 

"  His  divinity  and  His  humanity  both  appear  in  His  claims  and  in 
His  work.  He  was  never  afraid  of  lowering  Himself.  Standing  on 
the  very  verge  of  time,  with  the  millenniums  of  glory  stretching  on  be- 
fore, He  paused  and  stooped  to  wash  the  disciples'  feet.  He  was 
ready  always  with  all  the  help  which  a  man  may  claim  from  his  brother. 
Never  dazzled  by  earthly  splendors,  He  was  never  humbled  by  earthly 
lowliness.  What  explanation  can  there  be  of  this  but  the  old  one,  — 
He  proceeded  forth  and  came  from  God  ?  '  ' 

W.  Robertson  Nicoll,  The  Incarnate  Saviour. 

25 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  IV.  —  3>fitts'  Conception  of  ^tmeelf  anfc  pus 

FOURTH  DAY  :  THE  SON  OF  GOD  (CONCLUDED) 

i  .  It  may  be  that,  in  the  development  of  Jesus'  thought  about 
Himself,  a  development  suggested  by  such  passages  as  Luke  2  :  40,  52, 
the  great  fact  was  His  growing  consciousness  of  unique  relation  to 
God.  Consider  whether  there  is  any  hint  of  this  as  early  as  the  pe- 
riod described  in  Luke  2  :  49.  Did  the  boy  Jesus,  roaming  over  the 
Nazareth  hills,  cultivating  that  love  of  nature  which  is  evident  in  all 
the  teaching  of  Jesus,  begin  to  have  a  sense  of  standing  in  a  peculiar  re- 
lation to  God  ?  Is  there  any  likelihood  that  He  became  conscious  of 
this  fundamental  relationship  before  He  knew  Himself  to  be  the  Mes- 
siah, and  that  He  thought  of  Messiahship  as  one  aspect  of  the  funda- 
mental and  all-inclusive  relation  of  Sonship  ?  The  data  for  answers 
to  these  questions  are  not  given  us,  but  we  are  certain  that  this  title, 
"  Son  of  God,'*  must  have  expressed  to  Jesus  a  very  real  relation- 
ship. 

2.  The  evidence  of  the  developing  sense  of  Sonship  is  meagre, 
but  the  evidence  of  the  developed  sense  is  abundant.  In  ascertaining 
what  He  felt  His  mission  as  "Son  of  God  "  to  be,  consider,  first, 
the  strong  consciousness  of  a  mission,  expressed  in  such  passages  as 
John  5:  30;  6:38;  7:16;  8:18.  Some  forty  times  in  the  Gos- 
pel of  John  He  describes  Himself  as  in  the  passages  just  cited.  To 
ascertain  what  He  thought  His  mission  to  be,  read  the  report  He 
made  of  Himself  at  the  end  of  His  work  in  John  I  7  :  4-6,  26,  re- 
membering that  "  name,"  in  Hebrew  usage,  means  person,  or  char- 
acter (cf.  Exodus  34  :  5-7).  Read  also  John  14:8,  9.  Note  also 
the  contribution  made  by  the  statements  in  John  5  :  20  ;  8  :  28  ; 
14  :  10.  On  the  basis  of  this  evidence  state  what  He  considered 
His  mission,  in  general,  to  be. 

4.  Now  in  the  Synoptic  presentation   examine  Matt.  1  1  :  25-27 
and  its  parallel,  Luke  10  :  21,  22.      What  is  the  one  word  by  which 
Jesus  here  describes  His  mission  as  Son  ? 

5.  The  little  boy's  query,  "  What  does  God  do  all  day  ?  "  is  one 
that  rises  in  every  thoughtful  mind.       Consider  the  answer  given  by 
the  life  of  Jesus  to  this  question,  and  the  bearing  of  that  answer  upon 
your  own  life. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 

STUDY  IV. — ^esttc*  Conception  of  {Umself  anU  |)i$  ;pltfimon 
FIFTH  DAY:  THE  TEMPTATION  OF  THE  SON  OF  GOD 

1.  Yesterday's  study  seemed  to  yield  as  its  result  the  discovery  of 
a  consciousness  on  the  part  of  Jesus  that,  as  Son  of  God,  He  was  sent 
into  the  world  to  reveal  His  Father  ;   to  explain  to  men  by  word,  and 
illustrate  by  life,  what  kind  of  person  God  is.      Ascertain  from  John 
5  :  30  ;  6  :  38  ;   8  :  28  ;    I  2  :  49,  50  ;    14  :  10,  how  He   was   able 
to  give  to  men  a  perfect  expression  of  His  Father.      Consider  whether 
this  waiting  for  the  inner  voice,  alluded  to  in  these  passages,  throws 
any  light  on  Jesus'  behavior  in  the  instances  mentioned  in  John  2  :  4-7; 
7  :  6-10. 

2.  In  the  light  of  this  view  of  Jesus'  mission,  the  force  of  His  temp- 
tation becomes  at  least  partly  evident.      Read  Matt.  4:  i-ii,  noting 
that  Satan  addresses  Him  by  the   Messianic  title   (vv.   3-6)  which 
has  recently  been  heard  from  heaven  (3  :  17),  appealing  to  Him   to 
give  some  independent  exhibition  of  Messianic  power.      We  have  not 
yet  reached  the  point  in  this  study  where  we  can  see  in  detail  what 
Jesus  felt  to  be  required  of  Him  as  Son  of  God,  and  so  cannot  determine 
in  what  particulars  He  would  have  been  untrue  to  the  Messianic  ideal 
given   to  Him  by  His  Father,   if  He  had  done  what  Satan   asked. 
Consider,  however,  what  constituted  the  general  temptation  common 
to  all  three  specific  approaches  of  Satan. 

3 .  Jesus  must  have  felt  a  real  tug  of  temptation  upon  Him  in  these 
appeals  to   Him  to  be  untrue  to  the  essence  of  His  Messianic  ideal. 
The  almost  fierce  way  in  which  He  repelled  such  temptation,  when  it 
later  appealed  to   Him  in   more  insinuating  form  (Mark  8  :  31-33), 
shows  how  really  He  felt  its  power,  and  how  mightily  He  cast  it  off. 

The  picture  of  Jesus  in  the  Gospel  of  John,  presenting  to  men  a 
perfect  expression  of  His  Father  through  His  complete  submission  to 
His  Father,  is  enlivened  and  humanized  by  this  Synoptic  picture  of  the 
Son  of  God  victoriously  struggling  with  temptation.  To  be  sure,  there 
is  evidence  in  the  Gospel  of  John  (14  :  30)  that,  from  time  to  time 
through  his  Messianic  career,  Jesus  was  tempted  not  to  be  true  to  His 
Messianic  mission. 

"  Jesus  never  did  a  deed,  He  never  thought  a  thought,  that  He  did 
not  carry  it  back  with  His  soul  before  it  took  its  final  shape  and  get 
His  Father's  judgment  on  it.  He  lifted  His  eyes  at  any  instant  and 
talked  through  the  open  sky,  and  on  the  winds  came  back  to  Him  the 
answer."  Phillips  Brooks. 

27 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  IV.—  ;jestt0'  Coiuepttoii  of  fXttuself  an*  |)ifi 
SIXTH  DAY  :  THE  SON  OF  GOD  BEFORE  THE  WORLD  WAS 

1.  Before  we  begin  to  inquire  what  kind  of  person  Jesus  in  His 
revelation  represented  God  to  be,  there  is  need  to  notice  one  remark- 
able feature  of  Jesus'  acquaintance  with  His    Father  which  appears  in 
the  Gospel  of  John,  and  which  has  a  bearing  upon  the  question  of  His 
competence  to  make  a  report,  in  life  and  word,  of  what  He  had  found 
His  Father  to  be. 

2.  Read  John  3:13,  noting  that  the  clause,  "  who  is  in  heaven," 
might,  with  equal  grammatical   propriety,  be  translated   "who  was,'* 
or  "used  to  be,"  in  heaven.      What  does  Jesus  here  represent  to  be 
the  unique  feature  of  His  Self-consciousness  ? 

Read  6  :  38,  41,  42.  Here  He  represents  Himself  to  be,  in  His 
own  person,  that  which  can  sustain  the  spiritual  life  of  the  believer. 
What  this  "  life  "  is  will  be  considered  later.  The  question  here  is, 
What  does  He  mean  by  calling  Himself  the  bread  that  "  came  down 
from  heaven  "  ?  Read  also  6  :  62. 

Read  16  :  28-30  and  state  what  thought  Jesus  meant  His  words  to 
convey  to  His  disciples.  Read  also  17:5,  24. 

Determine  now  whether  any  of  these  utterances  indicate  a  con- 
sciousness, on  the  part  of  Jesus,  of  existence  before  His  earthly  life 
began. 

3.  There  are  no  passages  in  the  Synoptic  Gospels  in  which  Jesus 
speaks   of  Himself  as   having  existed  before  His  appearance  on  the 
earth.      The  Synoptic  Gospels  do,  however,  represent  Him  as  mak- 
ing statements  about  Himself  as  startling  as  is  this  assertion  in  the 
Gospel  of  John  regarding  His  pre-existence. 

These  statements  in  the  Gospel  of  John  seem  to  indicate  that, 
whatever  may  have  been  the  limitations  to  which  Jesus  voluntarily 
submitted  for  the  sake  of  being  a  more  effective  Redeemer,  there  were 
great  rifts  in  His  sky  through  which  He  had  glimpses  of  a  glorious  past 
in  the  fellowship  of  His  Father.  It  was  with  such  a  consciousness 
that  He  moved  about  in  tenderness  and  strength  among  those  that  were 
sick  in  body  and  soul,  bringing  to  them  His  own  eternal  health. 


28 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  IV.  —  ^ft&nti*  Conception  of  f>tm0elf  anto  J)ifii  $?lt  scion 
SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

i.  Review  the  Studies  of  the  last  six  days,  and  summarize  the 
points  that  have  been  gained.  Remember  that  the  purpose  is,  as  far 
as  may  be,  to  enter  into  the  consciousness  of  Jesus,  and  ascertain 
what  He  thought  and  how  He  felt,  when  He  called  Himself  "  Son 
of  Man  ;  "  and  what  He  thought,  when  He  called  Himself  "  Son  of 
God."  It  must  be  that  Jesus  had  a  real  religious  experience,  and  it 
is  into  that  experience,  as  far  as  He  revealed  it  to  His  apostles,  that 
we  have  wished  to  inquire.  What  has  the  study  of  the  religious  ex 
perience  of  Jesus  shown  to  be  His  aim  in  life  ? 

"  Strong  Son  of  God,  immortal  Love, 

Whom  we,  that  have  not  seen  thy  face, 
By  faith,  and  faith  alone,  embrace, 
Believing  where  we  cannot  prove." 

"  Thou  seemest  human  and  divine, 

The  highest,  holiest  manhood,  thou  : 
Our  wills  are  ours,  we  know  not  how  5 
Our  wills  are  ours,  to  make  them  thine. 

"  Our  little  systems  have  their  day  ; 

They  have  their  day  and  cease  to  be  : 
They  are  but  broken  lights  of  thee, 
And  thou,  O  Lord,  art  more  than  they." 

Tennyson,  In  Memoriam. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  'Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  V. — JJefittfl!'  Conception  of  ^tmaielf   anti  f)i0 

(  Continued) 

FIRST  DAY  :    JESUS    THE    REVELATION    OF    THE    FATHER- 
HOOD OF    GOD 

1.  Starting  now  with  the  general  conception  we  have  gained  of 
Jesus  as  being  one  who  felt  Himself  sent  by  His  Father  to  show  men 
what  kind  of  person  God  is,  we  can  inquire  in   detail  regarding  the 
nature  and   purpose  of  this  revelation.      What  kind  of    God  was  it 
that  Jesus  showed  to  men,  and  why  did  He  show  Him  to  them  ? 

2.  It  goes  without  saying  that  Jesus  spoke  to  men  genuinely  and 
frankly  out  of  His  own  experience.      The  most  fundamental  thing  He 
had  to  reveal  to  them  was  the  most  fundamental  thing  in  His  own  ex- 
perience, namely,  that  God  is  a  Father. 

In  the  Old  Testament  God  is  often  spoken  of  as  a  sovereign  or 
judge.  In  some  cases  He  is  addressed  as  "  Father, "  but  it  is  a  ques- 
tion whether  He  was  thought  of  in  the  Old  Testament  as  the  Father 
of  individuals.  He  is  called  the  Father  of  the  nation  and  of  the  king. 
Examine  the  following  passages,  and  see  whether,  in  any  of  them,  God 
appears  as  the  Father  of  any  individual  except  the  king  :  Is.  63  :  16  ; 
64  :  8  ;  Jer.  31  19,  20  ;  Hosea  1 1  :  I  ;  Mai.  I  :  6  ;  2  :  I  o  ;  Ps. 
89  :  26  ;  103  :  13  ;  II  Sam.  7  :  14. 

3.  In  God's  progressive  revelation  of  His  truth  certain  things  have 
been   said   with   a   steadily   increasing   distinctness  and  emphasis.      It 
would  not  be  surprising,  therefore,  if  this   fundamental   truth  of  the 
Fatherhood  of  God  should  be  found  in  rudimentary  form  in  the  Old 
Testament,  it  being  left  for  Jesus  and  His  apostles  in  the  fulness  of 
time  to  bring  it  out  into  the  clear  light.      One  of  the  most  impressive 
features  of  God's  dealing  with  the  world  and  with  individuals  is  the 
patience  with  which  He  adapts  His  revelation  to   the  understanding  of 
men.      "  I  have  yet  many  things  to  say  unto  you,  but  ye  cannot  bear 
them  now  "  (John  16  :  12).      One  of  the  aims  of  true  life  is  to  trans- 
form truth  into  action  so  steadily  that  there  shall  be  a  constantly  in- 
creasing capacity  for  the  reception  of  more  truth.      This  requires  that 
one  shall  increasingly  act  as  one  who  has  God  for  his  Father. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  V.  —  JJestts'  Conception  of  (pimself  antr  ibid 

(  Continued} 

SECOND  DAY  :    JESUS    THE    REVELATION  OF    THE  FATHER- 
HOOD OF  GOD  (CONCLUDED) 

1.  Over  against   the  meagre  representation   of  the  Fatherhood  of 
God  in  the  Old  Testament,  consider  Jesus'  strong  and  constant  em- 
phasis of  it.      Examine  Matt.  5:  48;   6:14-18;   23  19.      The  ex- 
pression found  in   these   passages  occurs   some  nineteen  times  in  Mat- 
thew. 

2.  In    the  Gospel   of  John  the  expression  "the  Father"  occurs 
more   than   sixty   times.      Examine   6:45,   46;   14  :  26   as   typical 
passages,  and  state   whether   the   expression   means  that   God  is  the 
Father  of  any  other   than  Jesus.      Examine  the  one  impressive  pas- 
sage in  which  the  expression  "  your  Father"  is  used,  20  :  17. 

3  .  Jesus'  daily  familiar  reference  in  the  presence  of  His  disciples  to 
God  as  His  Father  and  their  Father  must  have  made  the  Father  a  great 
reality  to  them.  This  is  evident  in  John  14:8.  They  had  seen 
Jesus  to  do  so  many  mighty  works  that  they  were  convinced  that  He 
might  produce  for  them  some  glorious  vision  of  the  Father,  like  the 
rheophany  witnessed  by  Moses  (Ex.  33  :  17-23).  By  a  pre-con- 
certed arrangement,  perhaps,  it  was  determined  that  one  of  their  num- 
ber should  request  this.  They  learned  from  Jesus'  reply  that  there 
was  no  more  adequate  revelation  of  God  than  that  which  they  had 
seen  in  the  quiet  glory  of  their  Lord's  daily  life  (14:  9).  That  is, 
Jesus  revealed  God  not  merely  in  His  teaching,  but  in  His  own  person. 
They  learned  that  God  is  a  ««  Christ-like  God."  Read  also  John 
10  :  30. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  V.  —  ^Jesus'  Conception  of  f)im0elf  antr  l)te 

(Continued*) 

THIRD    DAY  :   JESUS    THE    REVEALER   OF  THE    PROVIDING 

FATHER 

i  .  Bearing  in  mind  that  the  presence  of  the  Father  was  the  funda- 
mental reality  in  Jesus'  daily  experience,  note  the  characteristic  func- 
tion of  Fatherhood  expressed  in  each  of  the  following  passages  :  Matt. 
6  :  25-34;  7  :8-n  ;  10  :  29-31. 

2.  In  the  Gospel  of  John  glance  rapidly  through  chapters  14,  15, 
1  6  :  25-33,  and   record    whatever    you    find    there    concerning    the 
characteristics  and  functions  of  God's  Fatherhood. 

3.  The  explanation   of  the  peacefulness  of  Jesus  is  found  in  His 
sense  of  the  presence  of  an  all-powerful,  all-loving  Father.      His  con- 
fidence that  this  peace  could  be  reproduced  in  the  disciple  (John  1  4  : 
27)  rested  on  the  conviction  that  there  might  be  reproduced  in  the 
disciple  a  sense  of  the  presence  of  the  Father  (John  14  :  21-23). 

4.  When  a  man  realizes  that  the  all-powerful  God  is  his  Father,  so 
that  at  any  moment  he  can  say,  "  God  is  here  ;   He  is  my  Father," 
the  foundations  of  an  everlasting  peace  are  laid  in  his  life.     It  was  this 
message  that  Jesus  brought  by  word  and  life. 

"  The  very  God  !  think,  Abib  ;  dost  thou  think  ? 
So,  the  All-Great,  were  the  All-Loving  too— 
So,  through  the  thunder  comes  a  human  voice 
Saying,  '  O  heart  I  made,  a  heart  beats  here  !  '  ** 

Browning,  An  Epistle. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  V.  —  Jbt&uf  Conception  of  ^itnself  anU  ^tfi  ;pttamon 

(  Continued} 

FOURTH    DAY  :    JESUS    THE    REVEALER    OF    THE   SEEKING 

FATHER 

i  .  In  a  remarkable  conversation  with  a  woman  of  unsavory  repu- 
tation Jesus  told  her  that  God  was  a  Father  seeking  worshippers  ;  and 
in  His  own  personal  activity  on  that  occasion  He  revealed  the  Father 
in  actual  search  for  one  such  worshipper.  Read  John  4  :  23,  and  then 
read  the  entire  account  of  the  interview,  4  :  1-42,  thinking  of  Jesus  as 
a  revelation  of  His  Father,  and  of  His  engrossment  in  this  interview 
(vv.  31-35)  as  a  revelation  of  the  interest  felt  by  His  Father  in  the 
transformation  of  this  woman  into  a  true  worshipper. 

2.  Notice  in  John  17  :  6-8  that  Jesus  views  the  Twelve  as  persons 
sought  out  by  God  and  given  to  Him,  and  that  hi  the  Synoptic  pres- 
entation Jesus  is  represented  as  Himself  finding  them  and  calling  them 
to  His  discipleship  (Matt.  9:9). 

3  .  There  may  be  some  question  as  to  whether  Jesus  represents  God 
as  being  the  Father  of  all  men,  or  only  of  such  as  believe;  but  there  is 
no  doubt  that  He  represents  God  as  loving  all  men  and  as  seeking  to 
secure  from  them  such  worship  as  can  come  only  from  the  hearts  of 
true  sons.  If  He  is  regarded  as  the  Father  of  all  men,  then  the  great 
tragedy  that  fills  the  world  is  best  indicated  by  calling  many  of  them 
"  lost  sons  af  God."  This  expression  indicates  God's  care  for  them; 
what  He  meant  them  to  be  ;  and  the  awful  loss  that  is  sustained  when 
they  fail  to  recognize  who  they  are. 


33 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  'Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  V.—  Jesufi'  Conception  of  |)tmaeK  an*  |)w 

(  Continue  '</) 

FIFTH  DAY  :  JESUS  THE  REVEALER   OF   THE  SEEKING 
FATHER  (CONCLUDED) 

I  .  Consider  to-day  what  is  found  in  the  Synoptic  Gospels  regarding 
Jesus  as  a  revelation  of  the  seeking  Father.  Read  first  Jesus'  general 
description  of  His  mission  found  in  Luke  19  :  10.  Then  read  the 
whole  paragraph  19:1-10.  What  constitutes  a  man  "lost"  will 
be  considered  in  Part  III.,  where  Jesus'  conception  of  the  disciple  and 
his  mission  is  discussed.  For  the  present,  consider,  not  what  consti- 
tuted Zaccheus  "lost,"  but  the  sense  of  mission  expressed  by  Jesus 
in  the  words  of  v.  10.  As  you  read  the  paragraph,  try  to  under- 
stand the  actual  feeling  of  Jesus  as  He  called  this  man  from  the  tree, 
entered  his  house,  met  his  family,  sat  at  his  table,  talked  with  him  on 
Jlis  house-top  in  the  cool  of  the  evening  and  until  the  stars  shone  out 
in  the  sky.  Consider  that  in  all  this  He  was  giving  expression  to  the 
Father  seeking  for  a  "lost  son."  He  was  "  revealing  "  the  Fa- 
ther (Luke  10  :  22).  Read  also  Matt.  9  :  10-13. 

2.  The  passage  which  leads  most  directly  into  the  consciousness  of 
Jesus  is  Luke  15  :  1-32.      The  passage  represents  Jesus  as  engrossed 
in  the  accomplishment  of  His  Mission,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  lost 
sons  of  God  (15  :  i).      Read  15  :  3-7,  imagining  the  feeling  of  the 
shepherd  during  the  search,  at  the  discovery,  and  on  the  return  ;  and 
noticing  that  Jesus  attributes  these  feelings  to  God  (v.  7). 

Read  vv.  8-10,  noticing  what  Jesus  intended  to  teach  regarding 
His  own  frame  of  mind  at  the  time. 

Then  read  vv.  11-32,  in  which  He  seems  directly  to  describe  the 
feelings  of  God  over  the  return  of  a  "lost  son  "  (v.  32).  Note  es- 
pecially vv.  20-24. 

3.  It  is  evident  that,  to  Jesus*  mind,  God  was  no  metaphysical  ab- 
straction nor  theological  dogma,   but  a  living  Father.      If  one  can 
imagine  with  what  feelings  a  father  would  search  for  a  lost  son,  then 
he  can  realize  something  of  the  feeling  of  the  Father,  which  Jesus 
felt  Himself  sent  to  express  in  word  and  life. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  V.  —  JJeflitta'  Conception  of  |)tmself  anto  Jie  ;ptt00ton 

(Continued) 

SIXTH    DAY  :    JESUS'    REVELATION    OF    His    FATHER    BY 
MIGHTY  WORKS 

i  .  In  the  Gospel  of  John,  Jesus  is  represented  as  considering  His 
mighty  works  to  be  prompted  by,  and  expressive  of,  His  Father's 
activity.  Read  John  5:2-9,  17-19;  9:4-7;  5:36;  10:25; 
14  :  10. 

2.  We  are  accustomed  to  suppose  that  love  and  power  are  the  two 
fundamental  characteristics  of  God's  personality.  If  we  are  right  in 
this  supposition,  the  propriety,  or  even  necessity,  of  what  we  call 
"miracles"  becomes  evident.  They  constitute  a  marked  expression 
of  the  love  and  power  of  God  in  combination.  The  purpose  of  the 
miracles  of  Jesus  is  in  almost  every  case  apparently,  and  in  some  cases 
avowedly,  to  relieve  suffering  or  discomfort.  They  are  a  constant  il- 
lustration of  the  profound  statement,  "  The  Son  of  Man  came  not  to 
be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister.  '  '  Note  the  evidence  of  this  in  the 
following  instances  :  Luke  7:13  and  context  ;  Mark  7  :  34  ;  8  :  2,  3. 

3  .  It  is  sometimes  said  that  miracles  were  an  aid  to  the  faith  of  the 
first  Christians,  but  are  'a  hindrance  to  the  faith  of  Christians  to-day. 
It  is  not  in  place  here  to  discuss  the  nature  of  the  miracle  and  its  re- 
lation to  natural  law,  but  simply  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  Jesus 
conceived  of  the  miracle  as  a  part  of  His  revelation  of  the  Father.  We 
certainly  do  well  to  recognize  in  the  moral  character  of  Jesus  the  high- 
est manifestation  of  supernatural  power  ;  but  it  is  the  demand  of  mod- 
ern psychology  that  thought  and  feeling  shall  express  themselves  in  action, 
and  if  Jesus  were  represented  in  the  Gospels  as  making  the  astounding  as- 
sumption that  He  was  the  revelation  of  God,  and  yet  were  not  repre- 
sented as  doing  anything  unusual,  anything  God-like  in  the  presence  of 
human  need,  the  world  would  hardly  accept  Him  as  a  perfect  revela- 
tion of  God.  The  absence  of  the  miracle,  and  not  the  presence  of  it, 
would  constitute  the  stumbling-block  to  faith.  This  does  not  neces- 
sarily imply  that  Jesus  performed  miracles  with  an  apologetic  purpose, 
that  is,  to  prove  His  claim.  He  performed  them  as  a  natural  and  spon- 
taneous expression  of  His  Father's  power  and  love,  and  it  is  such  a 
performance  of  them  that  gives  them  their  apologetic  value.  As  Dr. 
Fairbairn  has  said  :  "  Given  the  Person  of  Jesus,  and  it  is  more  nat- 
ural that  He  should  than  that  He  should  not  work  miracles." 

35 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  V.  —  ^ft&ns*  Conception  of  |)im0etf  anto  ^i 

(Continued) 
SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

i.  Review  briefly  the  Studies  of  the  week,  noting  what  kind  of 
person  Jesus  represented  God  to  be,  as  far  as  the  work  of  the  week 
has  enabled  you  to  ascertain.  The  allusion  in  yesterday's  Study  to 
the  power  of  God  introduces  a  thought  that  will  be  more  clearly 
brought  out  later,  namely,  the  sovereignty  of  God.  As  Dr.  Fairbairn 
has  said,  there  is  in  all  true  fatherhood  an  element  of  sovereignty  and 
in  all  true  sovereignty  an  element  of  fatherhood.  This  is  to  be  borne 
in  mind  as  the  thought  underlying  the  Study  of  next  week. 

"  He,  who  from  the  Father  forth  was  sent, 

Came  the  true  Light,  light  to  our  hearts  to  bring  j 

The  Word  of  God,  —  the  telling  of  His  thought  j 

The  Light  of  God,  —  the  making  visible  j 

The  far-transcending  glory  brought 

In  human  form  with  man  to  dwell  j 

The  dazzling  gone  —  the  power  not  less 

To  show,  irradiate,  and  bless  j 

The  gathering  of  the  primal  rays  divine, 

Informing  Chaos  to  a  pure  sunshine  !  " 

—  George  MacDonald. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  VI.  —  JJeaus'  Conception  of  J>im0elf  an&  pis 

(Continued} 

FIRST  DAY  :    JESUS'    CONSCIOUSNESS    OF   AUTHORITY   AS   A 

TEACHER 

i  .  In  the  days  when  Jesus  was  thought  to  be  only  a  prophet,  His 
most  striking  characteristic  was  a  certain  undisguised  consciousness  of 
authority  as  a  teacher.  He  cited  no  other  man's  opinions,  as  did  the 
ordinary  rabbi-preachers,  but  spoke  with  the  decisive  conviction  of  di- 
rect and  independent  insight  into  truth.  Read  Mark  I  :  21,  22. 

2.  This  consciousness  of  authority  is  very  pronounced  in  His  treat- 
ment of  the  Scriptures.      His  allusions  to  them  are  always  reverent 
(cf.    Matt.  5:18;   23  :  1-3),   yet  He  extends    and  modifies    their 
teaching    with    the    strong,    unhesitating   hand    of  a    master.      Read 
Matt.  5  :  17,   where   "to  fulfil"   probably  means   "to  carry  on  to 
completion,"  and  note  the  conscious  authority  with  which  He  pro- 
ceeds to  develop  the  commandments  of  Scripture  in  vv.  21,  22,  27, 
2^>  33  »  34>  38,  39,  43,  44.      Note  especially  in  each  case  the  em- 
phatic  "I  say  unto  you  "  with  which  He  supplements  the  Scripture 
statements.       Note  also  the  impressive  paragraph,  Luke  6  :  46-49  ; 
and  read  Matt.  12  :  41,  42. 

3.  Read    Mark   10  :  1-12,   and    observe    the  summary  fashion  in 
which  He  sets  Moses  aside,   and  promulgates  a  social  law  that  He 
isserts  to  have  been  in  the  mind  of  God  long  before  Moses'  day. 

4.  Read  Mark  7  :  14-19,  and  note  (last  clause  of  v.  19,  Revised 
Version)  the  boldness  with  which  at  one  stroke  He  annuls  the  Leviti- 
cal  legislation  regarding  clean  and  unclean  meats. 

5.  When  He  seemed  to  stand  face  to  face  with  defeat,  His  con- 
fident consciousness  of  authority  did  not  in  the  least  weaken,  but  He 
said  with  quiet  conviction,  "My  words  shall  not  pass  away."       He 
described  their  unchangeableness  in  the  same  terms  in  which  He  had 
so  reverently  spoken  of  the  imperishable  word  of  God.      Read  Mark 
13:31  together  with  Matt.  5:18. 

History  has  confirmed  His  apparently  ungrounded  anticipation. 
Other  things  have  "  passed  away,"  but  His  words  "have  not  passed 
away  '  '  !  They  have  been  reproduced  in  many  languages,  and  are 
being  transformed  each  day  into  imperishable  personal  life,  as  one  new 
disciple  after  another  recognizes  their  authority. 

37 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  VI.  —  3Nu$'  Conception  of  ^imself  anfc  J)te 

(  Continued) 

SECOND  DAY  :    JESUS'  CONSCIOUSNESS  OF  His  PERSONAL 
AUTHORITY 

I  .  Jesus  did  not  hesitate  to  represent  Himself  as  having  the  right 
absolutely  to  control  every  man's  life  for  good.  Read  Matt.  10  :  37- 
39,  noting  His  emphasis  of  His  own  personality.  He  is  not  urging 
devotion  to  a  cause  merely,  but  supreme  devotion  to  His  own  person. 
Think  the  passage  carefully  through,  and  determine  what  there  is  left 
that  can  take  precedence  of  Jesus  in  human  thought  and  devotion. 
Sometimes  this  sense  of  His  own  importance  became  strenuous  and 
expressed  itself  in  language  that  must  have  seemed  to  the  multitudes 
almost  repellent  in  its  intensity.  Read  Luke  14  :  25-33. 

2.  Try  to  penetrate  the  consciousness  of  Jesus,  and  ascertain  how 
He  justified  Himself  in  making  these  demands  ;    what  motive  lay  be- 
hind them  ;    and  whether  they  were  made  in  an  arbitrary,  combative 
spirit.      That  is,  What  did  He  conceive  would  be  the  effect  upon  men, 
in  case  they  took  this  attitude  toward  Him  ?     What  did  He  see  in  Him- 
self that  warranted  any  such  attitude  toward  Him  on  the  part  of  men  ? 
Read  Matt.  23  :  10  and  the  culminating  statement  in  Matt.  28  :  18. 

3.  Turn  now  to  the  Gospel  of  John,  and,  from  your  previous  ac- 
quaintance with  it,  note  any  passages  in  which  Jesus  emphasizes  the  su- 
preme importance  of  His  own  person,  considering  especially  14:1  -6. 
Why  did  it  seem  to  Jesus  as  reasonable  to  have  confidence  in  Him  as 
to  have  confidence  in  God  (14:  I  )  ?     Try  to  conceive  the  personal 
consciousness  of  one  who  could  say  of  Himself  what  is  said  in  v.  6. 
Inquire  again,  What  is  the  motive  that  lay  behind  these  assertions  ? 

THE   SONG   OF   A    HEATHEN 
(Sojourning  in  Galilee,  A.D.  32) 
I 

"If  Jesus  Christ  is  a  man,  — 
And  only  a  man,  —  I  say 
That  of  all  mankind  I  cleave  to  him, 
And  to  him  will  I  cleave  alway. 

II 

«•  If  Jesus  Christ  is  a  God,  — 

And  the  only  God,  —  I  swear 
I  will  follow  Him  through  heaven  and  hell, 
The  earth,  the  sea,  and  the  air  !  " 

Richard  Watson  Gilder. 
38 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  VI.—  JJesttfli'  Conception  of  |)im0elf  anfc  Jus 

(  Continued  ) 

THIRD  DAY  :  JESUS'    CONSCIOUSNESS   OF    His    OWN  SUFFI- 
CIENCY FOR  THE  NEEDS  OF  MEN 

I  .  Jesus  was  not  merely  conscious  of  authority  as  a  teacher  and  of 
a  personal  right  to  the  affection  and  obedience  of  men,  but  He  mani- 
fested an  astonishing  confidence  that  He  was  sufficient,  in  His  own  per- 
son, to  satisfy  the  needs  and  aspirations  of  men.  Read  Matt,  n  :  28- 
30.  Notice  that  it  is  in  view  of  His  consciousness  of  unique  relationship 
to  God  (v.  27)  that  Jesus  gives  this  indiscriminate  invitation.  He 
seems  to  be  confident  that  no  one  else  can  give  what  He  promises. 
What  He  promises  is  a  life  of  profound  restfulness,  or  satisfaction,  and 
He  promises  it  to  any  troubled  spirit,  no  matter  what  its  burdens  or  un- 
resting aspirations  may  be.  The  phraseology  of  the  passage  seems  to 
indicate  that  He  had  most  prominently  in  mind  the  conscientious  souls 
that  wore  the  burdensome  yoke  of  the  rabbis,  but  the  context  and  Jesus' 
general  attitude  toward  the  outcast  classes  show  that  His  statement  was 
of  general  application. 

2.  In  close  connection  with  this  thought  is  the  assurance  with  which 
Jesus  looked  into  the  hearts  of  certain  men,  and  set  them  at  rest  by  as- 
suring them  that  their  sins  were  forgiven.  Read  Luke  5  :  18-26.  He 
does  not  find  the  man  in  a  peaceful  state  of  mind  that  leads  Him  to 
infer  that  he  must  have  been  forgiven,  but  He  definitely  expresses  His 
consciousness  of  power  to  look  into  hearts,  to  forgive  sins  (v.  24),  and 
consequently  to  give  peace.  Read  also  7  :  36-50,  noting  the  au- 
thoritative assurance  of  forgiveness. 

3  .  In  the  Gospel  of  John,  Jesus'  consciousness  of  sufficiency  to  meet 
the  needs  of  men  is  very  marked.  Read  John  6:35,  remembering 
the  promiscuous  character  of  those  to  whom  He  was  speaking  (vv.  5, 
22-24).  Read  also  8:12,  and  particularly  14  :  27. 

Here  again  try  to  penetrate  the  consciousness  of  Jesus,  and  imagine 
with  what  confident  desire  He  looked  out  upon  the  crowds  of  travel- 
lers, business  men,  and  soldiers,  thronging  the  great  world-highways 
that  crossed  and  re-crossed  Palestine.  They  were  going  here  and  there 
in  the  world  on  various  errands.  He  stood  looking  at  them,  from  the 
Galilean  hill-tops,  with  the  consciousness  of  being  one  who  could 
afford  them  peace  and  light  through  His  companionship. 


39 


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STUDY  VI.  —  3e*Ufi!'  Conception  of  |)unfiel£  anfc  I)t0 

(  Continued) 

FOURTH  DAY  :  JESUS'  EXPECTATION  OF  SPIRITUAL  ASSOCI- 
ATION WITH  His  DISCIPLES 

1.  Although  Jesus'  death  occupied   a  very  prominent  place  in  His 
thought,  especially  toward  the  end,  He  always  saw   beyond   it  with 
clear  vision.      His  distinct  predictions  of  death  in  the  Synoptic  Gospels 
always  included  the  prediction  of  a  resurrection.      Note  some  of  the 
things  which  He  foresaw  on  the  other  side  of  His  death,  Luke  23  : 
43  ;    Matt.  26  :  32;    24:  I,  2,  14.      The  most  notable  experience 
to  which  He  looked  forward  was  that  of  some  kind  of  continued  asso- 
ciation with  His  disciples.      His  utterances  on  this  subject  could  hardly 
have  been  understood  by  them  at  the  time,  for  they  did  not  realize  that 
He  was  to  die.      We,  reading   these  utterances  in  the   light  of  what 
afterward  happened,  interpret  them  as  predictions  of  a  spiritual  associ- 
ation.     With  this  thought  in  mind  read  Matt.  18  :  19,  20.      What 
did  these  words  probably  mean  to  the  disciples,  when  they  originally 
heard  them  ?     What  did  they  mean  to  the  disciples,  as  they  remem- 
bered them  afterward?     What  thought  was  in  the  mind  of  Jesus,  when 
He  spoke  them  ? 

2.  The  post-resurrection  utterance  recorded  in  Matt.  28  :  20  is  of 
great  interest  in  this  connection.     At  the  time  it  was  spoken  the  disci- 
ples had  for  some  days,  or  weeks,  been  having  occasional  interviews 
with  Jesus.      What  did  the  words  probably  mean  to  them,  when  they 
first  heard  them  ;  and  what  did  Jesus  mean  by  them  ? 

3.  The  statements  ascribed  to  Jesus  in  the  Gospel  of  John  refer  more 
evidently  to  spiritual  experience.       Read  John   14:21-24.       What 
was  it  about   these  words   that   so  perplexed   the  disciples  (v.  22)  ? 
Try  to  put  yourself  in  sympathy  with  Jesus  as  He  stood  on  the  verge 
of  the  great  change  (16:  5,  6,  28-30),  and  ask  yourself  with  what 
sensations  and  expectations  He  uttered  such  words  as  14:21,  23,  24. 

"Jesus,  these  eyes  have  never  seen 

That  radiant  form  of  thine  ! 
The  vail  of  sense  hangs  dark  between 
Thy  blessed  face  and  mine  ! 

"  I  see  thee  not,  I  hear  thee  not, 

Yet  art  thou  oft  with  me  j 
And  earth  hath  ne'er  so  dear  a  spot, 
As  where  I  meet  with  thee." 

Ray  Palmer. 

40 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  VI.  —  Jeans:'  Conception  of  pimsielf  anti  Ibis  JHiasion 

(  Continued  ) 

FIFTH  DAY  :  JESUS'  EXPECTATION  OF  JUDGING  THE 

NATIONS 

/.  One  of  the  most  startling  features  of  Jesus'  consciousness  was  His 
conviction  that  He  should  finally  judge  the  nations.  Read  carefully 
Matt.  13  :  36-43,  and  particularly  vv.  41,  42,  noting  the  possessive 
pronoun  ;  also  the  casual  anticipation  of  the  judgment  in  Matt.  7  :  22, 
23.  Read  Matt.  16  :  27,  and  compare  it  with  the  statement  made 
by  Jesus  before  the  Sanhedrin  at  the  time  of  His  trial,  Matt.  26  :  64. 
The  most  vivid  statement  is  that  in  Matt.  25  :  31-46.  Read  it  very 
carefully,  noting  that  Jesus  represents  Himself  to  be  the  Judge,  and  that 
it  is  the  previous  relation  of  the  judged  to  Jesus  that  determines  the  result. 

2.  In  the  Gospel  of  John,  also,  Jesus  is  represented  as  confident  that 
He  will  one  day  judge  men.  Note  the  evidence  of  it  in  5  :  19-29. 
Here  again  it  is  their  attitude  toward  Him  that  determines  the  result. 
The  wrong  attitude  toward  Him  is  its  own  condemnation,  1  2  :  46-49. 
Consider  what  is  involved  in  the  ability  to  judge,  which  Jesus  was  con- 
scious of  possessing.  It  does  not  consist  merely  in  laying  down  the 
principles  in  accordance  with  which  judgment  is  pronounced,  but  it 
involves  determining  whether  each  man,  in  his  inmost  heart,  has  con- 
formed to  the  principles  of  righteousness.  This  is  not  easy  to  deter- 
mine. A  man  is  sometimes  in  doubt  about  himself.  What  did  Jesus 
see  in  Himself  that  convinced  Him  that  he  was  capable  of  pronouncing 
ultimate  judgment  in  the  case  of  all  men  ? 

Jesus,  even  in  His  earthly  life,  had  the  power  to  bring  to  light  the 
true  selves  of  those  about  Him.  The  Samarian  peasant  woman,  after 
a  brief  conversation  with  Him,  hurried  away  to  the  village  saying, 
"  Come,  see  a  man,  which  told  me  all  things  that  ever  I  did."  The 
vehement  protestations  of  Peter  did  not  confuse  Him,  or  make  Him 
hesitate.  He  looked  straight  at  Peter's  soul  and  reported  it  to  be  one 
that  in  a  few  hours  would  deny  its  Lord.  Pontius  Pilate,  Roman  Pro- 
curator, had  thrown  up  about  his  personality  the  imposing  outworks  of 
official  prestige  and  power,  but  Jesus  pressed  easily  through  them  to  the 
heart  of  the  man,  and  found  it  weak  and  cowardly. 

"  For  we  must  all  be  made  manifest  before  the  judgment-seat  of 
Christ."  St.  Paul,  Second  Letter  to  the  Corinthians. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 
STUDY  VI. — 3T**tt*'  Conception  of  |>itn0etf  anfc  Jbte  Jfttgmon 

(  Continued} 
SIXTH  DAY  :  JESUS'  CONSCIOUSNESS  OF  SINLESSNESS 

1.  It  would  certainly  not  have  been  like  Jesus  to  parade  His  con- 
sciousness of  sinlessness  in  the  presence  of  sinful  men.     If  He  had  such 
a  consciousness,  the  evidence  of  it  must  be  sought  in  implication  rather 
than  in  direct  assertion.      There  is  no  doubt  that  the  apostles  later  con- 
sidered Jesus  to  have  been  a  sinless  person.      The  question  now  is, 
What  evidence  is  there  that  Jesus  considered  Himself  never  to  have 
sinned  ? 

2.  Do  you  recall  any  expression  of  penitence  or  regret  on  the  part 
of  Jesus?     His   recorded  prayers  are   few.      In   Luke   10  :  21,  22; 
John  1 1  :  41,  42  ;    17  :  1-26,  is  there  any  hint  of  confession  ?     Com- 
pare in  this  connection  the  confessions  of  other  men,  Matt.  3:14;  I 
Tim.  1:15,  1 6  ;  I  John  i  19,  10;  Isa.  6  :  5. 

3.  The  account  of  Jesus'  temptation  (Matt.  4  :  i-n),  which,  in 
the  nature  of  the  case,  must  have  been  reported  to  the  disciples  by  Jesus 
Himself,  is  a  record  of  completely  victorious  resistance  of  temptation. 
In  the  Gospel  of  John  the  representation  of  14  :  30  agrees  with  this. 

4.  Consider  the  way  in  which  Jesus  associates  His  name  with  that 
of  the  Father  in  the  baptismal   formula,  Matt.    28  :  19,  and  in   the 
strange  statement,  Mark  13  132,  where  He  classes  Himself  above  an- 
gels.     Is  it  fair  to  say  that,  in  conceiving  of  Himself  as  appointed  to 
judge  the  nations,   He  assumes  that  He  is  Himself  above  judgment  ? 

5.  His  constant  conception  of  Himself  in  the  Gospel  of  John,  as 
being  in  character  and  life  a  perfect  revelation  of  the  Father,  indicates 
what  in  this  connection  ? 

"  But  Thee,  but  Thee,  O  sovereign  Seer  of  time, 
But  Thee,  O  poet's  Poet,  Wisdom's  Tongue, 
But  Thee,  O  man's  best  Man,  O  love's  best  Love, 
O  perfect  life  in  perfect  labour  writ, 
O  all  men's  Comrade,  Servant,  King,  or  Priest,— 
What  if  or  yet,  what  mole,  what  flaw,  what  lapse, 
What  least  defect  or  shadow  of  defect, 
What  rumour,  tattled  by  an  enemy, 
Of  inference  loose,  what  lack  of  grace 
Even  in  torture's  grasp,  or  sleep's,  or  death's,— 
Oh,  what  amiss  may  I  forgive  in  Thee. 
Jesus,  good  Paragon,  thou  Crystal  Christ  ?  " 

Sidney  Lanier,  The  Crystal. 

42 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  VI.  —  ^efittfii*  Conception  of  If)imseif  anto  Jn 

(  Continued} 

SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

i  .  Review  the  points  secured  by  the  investigation  made  the  past 
week,  getting  them  distinctly  before  your  mind  and  endeavoring  to  incor- 
porate them  into  a  mental  picture  of  Jesus  that  shall  be  real  to  you. 
One'  s  conception  of  Jesus  is  greatly  enriched  by  realizing  that  Jesus  had 
a  real  religious  experience.  Jesus  did  not  move  unfeelingly  and  offi- 
cially through  the  range  of  experience  discovered  by  the  past  week's 
study.  His  sense  of  authority,  His  expectation  of  judging  men,  His 
demand  for  the  supreme  devotion  of  all  men,  were  all  very  real  ele- 
ments of  His  consciousness.  He/>//  them  all. 

When  all  sense  of  artificiality  is  thrown  off,  and  we  come  upon 
Jesus  as  a  real  person,  speaking  out  of  a  real  personal  experience,  the 
extraordinary  significance  of  this  consciousness  grows  upon  us,  and  we 
worship  with  deepening  awe  and  intensifying  love. 

"  Beginning  His  work  in  a  peasant's  garb,  with  almost  no  following, 
He  anticipated  the  time  when  His  religion  should  become  fashionable,  — 
when  men  should  call  Him  *  Lord,  Lord  !  '  and  He  would  not  know 
them  ;  when  His  name,  hardly  known,  or  known  to  be  despised, 
should  become  the  spring  of  power,  —  the  well-head  of  great  and  sweet 
utterances,  —  the  name  above  every  name,  as  Paul  calls  it,  —  the  beau- 
tiful name,  as  even  the  stern  Apostle  James  says,  with  the  rare,  deep 
tenderness  of  a  rugged  nature.  Such  were  His  claims.  None  other 
made  such  claims  ;  none  other  claimed  to  stand  so  high,  or  to  give  so 
much.  If  these  claims  are  untrue,  can  His  character  stand  stainless  ? 
We  are  shut  up  to  the  old  dilemma.  Either  he  is  God,  or  He  is  not 
good." 

W.  Robertson  Nicoll,  The  Incarnate  Saviour. 


43 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  VII.—  J  earns'  Conception  of  JUmsieif  anU  ^1 

(  Continued} 

FIRST  DAY  :    JESUS'  CONCEPTION  OF   THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
His  DEATH  ACCORDING  TO  THE  SYNOPTIC  GOSPELS 

I  .  Toward  the  end  Jesus  had  mucK  to  say  regarding  His  prospec- 
tive death,  and  spoke  of  it  as  an  integral  part,  or  even  as  the  culmina- 
tion, of  His  mission.  The  evident  importance  attached  to  it  by  Jesus 
justifies  a  somewhat  careful  study  of  His  statements  regarding  it. 

How  early  He  realized  that  the  accomplishment  of  His  mission  in- 
volved His  death,  we  have  not  data  for  ascertaining.  The  earliest 
allusion  to  it  in  the  Synoptic  Gospels  is  in  Mark  2  :  20.  The  idea 
that  the  Messiah  must  die  was  utterly  foreign  to  Jewish  thought.  See 
John  12:34.  His  disciples  seem  never  to  have  taken  His  predic- 
tions of  death  literally  and  seriously,  for  had  they  done  so  they  would 
not  have  given  up  all  hope  as  they  did  after  His  death,  and  would  not 
have  regarded  the  report  of  His  resurrection  as  "idle  talk"  (Luke 
24  :  8-1  1  ).  They  probably  regarded  His  predictions  of  death  as  in- 
stances of  the  parabolic  style  of  speech  of  which  He  was  so  fond,  and, 
perhaps,  thought  that  He  was  describing  in  parabolic  language  a  brief 
temporary  disappearance,  to  be  followed  by  a  sudden  re-appearance  in 
glorious  form,  and  the  long-deferred  establishment  of  His  Kingdom. 

2.  Note,  in  Mark  8  :  3  i,  the  two  classes  whose  religious  and  political 
views  were  so  divergent  upon  many  points,  but  who  were  fast  becom- 
ing a  unit  in  their  bitter  hatred  of  Jesus.  (The  high-priestly  family 
was  the  nucleus  of  the  Sadducees,  and  the  Scribes  came  largely,  if  not 
exclusively,  from  the  Pharisees.  Both  parties  were  represented  in  the 
supreme  court,  or  Sanhedrin,  which  is  suggested  here  by  the  word 
"elders."  Cf.  Mark  15  :  i.) 

Why  were  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  so  bitterly  opposed  to  Jesus  ? 
As  a  partial  explanation,  note  the  rapid  development  of  Pharisaic  oppo- 
sition, and  the  reasons  for  it,  presented  in  the  four  paragraphs  of 
Mark  2:1-3:6.  Read  also  the  more  political  Sadducean  argument 
in  John  n  :  47-53. 

*'  He  was  the  enduring  Christ,  not  only  in  the  deep  mystery  of  His 
atonement,      .      .      .      but  in  the  lifelong  pain  of  His  days.    He  lived 
surrounded    by   an   atmosphere   of  calumny   and   rejection. 
There  is  no  hatred  like  the  hatred  of  religionists  who  fear  that  their 
system  is  to  be  overthrown,  and  that  hatred  He  knew  to  the  full." 
W.    Robertson  Nicoll,  The  Incarnate  Saviour. 
44 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  VII.  —  JJwmg'  Conception  of  |)tmaei£  anU  of  ^i 

{Continued} 

SECOND  DAY  :  JESUS'  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 

His  DEATH  ACCORDING  TO  THE  SYNOPTIC  GOSPELS 

(CONTINUED) 

i  .  Is  there  any  general  indication  that  Jesus  regarded  His  death  as 
possessed  of  greater  significance  than  the  death  of  any  ordinary  man  ? 
Read  Mark  9:12;  Matt.  26:  54;  Luke  12:49;  *%  :3!  J  24:  25»  2^« 

2.  The  great  question  is,  What  significance  did  Jesus  see   in   His 
death  ?     In  His  earliest  distinct  statement  regarding  it  He  speaks  of  it 
in  connection  with,  and  apparently  as  an  illustration  of,  a  great  princi- 
ple of  the  religious  life,  namely,  that  a  man  must  be  willing  to  let  go 
of  the  lower  in  order  to  take  hold  of  the  higher.      Read  carefully  Mark 
8  '•  3  1-3  7*      Peter  was  annoyed  because  Jesus  made  this  gloomy  pre- 
diction publicly   (v.  32),  for  although  the  disciples  were  sufficiently 
familiar  with  Jesus'  habitual  parabolic  form  of  speech  to  suppose  that 
He  did  not  mean  literally  what  He  said,  still  there  was  danger  that  the 
people  might  take  Him  seriously,  and  the  Messiah  could  never  hope  to 
secure  and  retain  a  following,  if  He  were  thought  to  be  anticipating 
death.     An  unwise  use  of  parabolic  speech  had  already  cost  Jesus  a  large 
part  of  His  following  (see  John  6  :  52-54,  60,  66),  and  Peter  pro- 
poses now  to  prevent  the  recurrence  of  such  an  experience.     Jesus 
strenuously  resents   the  interference,  turns  back   to   the   crowd,  and 
makes  the  still  more  offensive  announcement  that,  not  only  is   He  to 
die,  but  that  no  one  can  be  His  disciple  who  is  not  ready  to  die  with 
Him  (v.  34).      He  warns  Peter  that  any  one  who  is  ashamed  of  the 
statements  that  He  makes,  is  in  danger  of  failing  to  enter  the  King- 
dom (v.  38).     The  reason  for  requiring  this  readiness  to  sacrifice 
physical  life  is  given  in  the  general  paradoxical  statement,  in  which 
there  is  a  play  on  the  word  "  life,"  that  the  condition  of  laying  hold  of 
the  higher,  spiritual  life  in  the  Kingdom  is  the  readiness  to  let  go  of  the 
lower,  physical  life  (v.  35). 

3.  Does  Jesus  in  this  passage  represent  His  death  as  something  bene- 
ficial to  others,  or  as  something  that  He  must  Himself  pass  through  in 
order  to   attain   the   highest   life?      Cf.  v.  36  with    Matt.  4:  8-10. 
Consider  whether  the  parallel  rendering  in  Matt.  16  :  23  gives  any 
hint  of  personal  temptation  and  peril  to  Himself.      Consider  what  was 
the  effect  upon  His  own  personal  life  of  Jesus'  determination  to  sacri- 
ice  Himself. 


45 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 
STUDY  VII.—  ^Jesus'  Conception  of  (Umself  an*  l)tfi  Jfttemon 

(  Continued) 

THIRD  DAY  :  JESUS'  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
His  DEATH  ACCORDING  TO  THE  SYNOPTIC  GOSPELS  (CON- 
TINUED) 

1.  We  come  now  to  a  passage  in  which  Jesus  represents  that  His 
death  is  to  be  of  advantage  to  others.     Read  carefully  Mark  10  :  32-45, 
and  state  what  the  line  of  thought  is  that  culminates  in  v.  45.      It  is 
evident  that  at  this  time  the  thought  of  death  was  much  in  the  mind  of 
Jesus  (vv.  32-34,  38),  although  the  unsympathetic  minds  of  His  friends 
were  filled  with  very  different  thoughts  (vv.  35-37). 

2.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  His  death  is  distinctly  the  subject  under 
discussion  in  this  paragraph,  the  expression,  "  to  give  His  life,"  is  most 
naturally  referred  to  death  and  not  to  spending  life  in  the  service  of 
others.      The  statement  is  somewhat  general,  and  it  does  not  go  into 
detail.      The  reason  for  this  is  apparent.      The  disciples  could  not  yet 
even  understand  that  Jesus  was  to  die,  and  much  less  were  they  in  a  po- 
sition to  understand  a  detailed  explanation  of  the  significance  of  His  death. 

The  word  translated  "ransom"  is  used  in  the  Old  Testament  to 
designate  the  price  paid  for  release  from  bondage  or  captivity,  or  as  a 
substitute  for  the  death  penalty  (Ex.  21  :  30).  The  figure  evidently 
ought  not  to  be  pressed  in  all  its  possible  details,  as  was  done  by  the 
theologians  of  the  middle  ages,  who  regarded  Satan  as  having  a  pro- 
prietary interest  in  men,  which  he  relinquished  upon  receipt  of  the  death 
of  Christ  as  a  ransom. 

3.  Conceive  yourself,  as  far  as  possible,  in  the  actual  situation  of 
Jesus  and  His  disciples,  and  endeavor  to  answer  the  following  ques- 
tions :  Jesus  here  represents  His  death  to  be  in  accordance  with  what 
great  principle  of  conduct  ?     What  motive  actuated  Him  in  His  readi- 
ness to  die  ?    Who  are  benefited  by  His  death  ?     From  what  are  they 
freed  ?     In  answering  the  last  question  it  is  perhaps  admissible  to  antici- 
pate the  representation  made  in  John  8:34.      Does  the  statement  here 
in  Mark  enable  you  to  tell  how  the  death  of  Jesus  serves  to  free  men 
from  their  undesirable  situation  ? 

40  Evidently  Jesus  had  a  very  keen  sense  of  the  disastrous  limitations 
under  which  men  lived,  and  of  the  great  possibilities  of  development 
that  would  be  theirs  in  case  these  limitations  should  be  removed.  It  is 
our  privilege  to  have  some  clear  sense  that  He  has  secured  for  us  exemp- 
tion from  these  limitations,  however  imperfectly  we  may  at  present 
understand  the  character  of  our  indebtedness  to  Him  for  doing  so. 

46 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  VII.  —  3>6ttfl('  Conception  of  |)imael£  antr  pis 

(  Continued^ 

FOURTH  DAY  :  JESUS'  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
His  DEATH  ACCORDING  TO  THE  SYNOPTIC  GOSPELS  (CON- 
TINUED) 

i  .  As  further  indication  that  Jesus  considered  His  death  to  be  bene- 
ficial to  others,  read  Mark  14  :  22-24  and  its  parallels,  Matt.  26  :  26- 
29  ;  Luke  22  :  19,  20. 

2.  Notice  the  two  figures  by  which  He  expresses  His  sense  of  the 
significance  of  His  death.      The  first  is  the  allusion  to  certain  broken 
wafers  of  the  passover  supper  as  His  "body."      Consider  all  the  cir- 
cumstances, especially  the  fragments  of  the  paschal  lamb  lying  before 
them  on  the  table,  and  state  what  there  was  in  the  situation  that  made 
Him  speak  of  these  broken  pieces  of  bread  as  His  "body." 

3.  The  event  commemorated  by  the  eating  of  the  paschal  lamb  is 
described  in  Ex.  12  :  1-28.      Read  this   description   rapidly,  noting 
that  the  eating  of  the  paschal  lamb  celebrated  the  sparing  of  the  Israel- 
ites and  their  deliverance  from  bondage  into  liberty  (Ex.  12  :  27). 

4.  If  Jesus  had  the  fragments  of  the  paschal  lamb  in  mind  when  He 
took  the  fragments  of  the  broken  loaf  and  made  them  symbolize  His 
own  body,  it  would  seem  that  He  must  have  thought  of  His  body, 
that  is,  of  Himself,  as  in  some  sense  a  sacrifice,  the  offering  of  which 
would  be  connected  with  the  introduction  of  the  people  into  liberty. 

5  .  Certain  deeper  questions  regarding  the  significance  of  such  sacri- 
fice arise  at  this  point  and  are  not  answered  in  the  text.  What  was  the 
significance  of  the  original  sacrifice  of  the  paschal  lamb  to  the  crude 
minds  of  the  escaping  Israelitish  bondmen  ?  What,  in  the  eternal  world 
of  spiritual  reality,  is  the  necessity  for  the  sacrifice  of  a  great  person  like 
Jesus  Christ  ?  What  did  Jesus,  with  His  clear  spiritual  vision,  conceive 
to  be  the  necessity  for  such  sacrifice  as  He  was  contemplating  in  con- 
nection with  the  introduction  of  men  into  liberty  ?  Let  these  questions 
rest  in  your  mind,  and  consider  whether  the  passage  studied  to-day  sheds 
any  light  on  them.  Do  not  be  disturbed  if  you  are  not  able  to  answer 
such  questions  at  once.  Let  them  be  among  the  questions  that  you 
"hang  up,"  as  Horace  Bushnell  said,  and  patiently  take  down  from 
time  to  time  for  re-examination,  as  you  wait  for  light  upon  them. 


47 


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STUDY  VII.  —  Jeans'  Conception  of  Jbimfielf  antr  ibis 

(  Continued} 

FIFTH  DAY  :  JESUS'  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
His  DEATH  ACCORDING  TO  THE  SYNOPTIC  GOSPELS  (CON 
TINUED) 

I  .  Examine  the  second  figure  used  by  Jesus  at  the  paschal  supper  in 
speaking  of  the  significance  of  His  death.  Read  Mark  14:  23,  24;  Matt. 
26  :  27,  28  ;  Luke  22  :  20.  Here  Jesus  speaks  of  His  blood  as  "cov- 
enant blood,"  or,  in  some  manuscripts,  as  blood  of  the  "new  "  cov- 
enant. According  to  oriental  ideas  a  covenant  seems  to  have  been 
rendered  binding  only  after  the  contracting  parties  had  in  some  way 
made  use  of  blood.  The  best  illustration  of  this  is  found  in  Ex. 
24  :  1-8.  Read  this  passage,  noting  that  the  altar  represented  Jehovah, 
and  that  the  covenant  was  rendered  operative  by  the  application  of 
blood  to  each  of  the  contracting  parties.  In  order  to  ascertain  what 
the  expression  "new  covenant"  meant  to  the  Jewish  mind,  read  Jer. 
31  :  31-34,  and  note  the  prominent  place  occupied  by  the  "new  cov- 
enant "  in  early  Christian  thought,  as  seen  in  Heb.  8  16-13. 

2.  In  view  of  these  statements,  whom  do  you  judge  that  Jesus  con- 
sidered to  be  the  contracting  parties  in  the  covenant  of  which  He  spoke 
at  the  paschal  supper  ?     What  did  each  covenant  to  the  other  ?     Note 
the  significant  last  clause  of  Matt.  26  :  28,  which  connects  the  death  of 
Jesus  with  the  forgiveness  of  sin.      Is  there  anything  like  this  in  the 
classic  passage  in  Jeremiah  just  cited  ? 

3.  It  is  evident  that  the  death  of  Jesus  is  here  represented  by  Him 
as  bringing  men  and  God  together  in  intimate  covenant  fellowship.     It 
must  have  been  a  great  comfort  to  Him  to  feel  that  by  His  death  He 
was  accomplishing  this  result  for  "many."      Is  there  any  hint  in  the 
passage  as  to  how  this  death  served  to  bring  men  and  God  together  ? 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  VII.  —  %t8u&'  Conception  of  ^imfielf  anfc  l) 

{Continued} 

SIXTH  DAY  :  JESUS'  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
His  DEATH  ACCORDING  TO  THE  SYNOPTIC  GOSPELS  (CON- 
CLUDED) 

1.  There  is  another  passage,  mysteriously  suggestive,  which  ought 
to  be  examined,  though  it  can  scarcely  be  said  to  furnish  the  solution 
of  the  problem,  and  that  is  Mark  14  :  32-42,  with  its  parallels,  Matt. 
26  :  36-46  ;  Luke  22  :  39-46.      Read  the  passages,  and  note  that  the 
prime  question  here  is,  What  was  "the  cup"  ?     What  was  there  in 
the  experience  on  the  cross,  the  anticipation  of  which  filled  Jesus  with 
a  terrified  amazement  and  distress  that,  in  His  own  language,  seemed 
like  "  death  "  to  Him  (Mark  14  :  33,  34)  ?     It  hardly  seems  proba- 
ble that  such  agitation  as  He  experienced  when  He  repeatedly  fell  to 
the  ground  in  agonizing  prayer  was  occasioned  merely  by  the  shrinking 
from   physical   suffering,   which  is  indeed  natural,  but  which   many 
martyrs  have  met  triumphantly.      Nor  does  it  seem  likely  that  it  was 
the  disgraceful  mode  of  death,  which  was  regarded  by  the  Jews  as  so 
humiliating  (Gal.  3  :  13). 

2.  An  examination  of  the  crucifixion  narrative  shows  that  it  was 
not  the  crucifixion  itself  that  killed  Jesus,  for  the  crucified  often  lived 
for  days  and  sometimes,  it  is  said,  finally  died  of  starvation.      Pilate 
could  scarcely  believe  that  Jesus  was  already  dead  (Mark    15  :  44). 
Jesus  did  not  grow  gradually  weaker,  but  was  able  at  the  moment  of 
death  to  utter  a  great  shout  (Mark  15  :  37). 

3.  The  query  then  is,  What  was  it  to  which  Jesus  looked  forward 
with  such  dread  in  Gethsemane,  which  caused  Him  His  chief  suffering 
on  Calvary,  and  really  killed  Him  ?     If  this  question  can  be  answered 
with  any  degree  of  satisfaction,  some  light  may  be  thrown  upon  the 
question  of  the  significance  that  He  attached  to  His  death.      Consider 
this  question  and  give  the  best  answer  you  can.      In  this  connection 
read  carefully  the  account  of  Jesus'  conduct  and  utterances  upon   the 
cross.     Bear  in  mind  what  His  attitude  toward  men  had  always  been, 
and  consider  whether  it  affords  any  explanation  of  the  mental  distress 
that  killed  Him. 

"  Was  it  for  crimes  that  I  had  done 

He  groaned  upon  the  tree  ? 
Amazing  pity  !     Grace  unknown  ! 
And  love  beyond  degree  !  "  —  Watts. 

49 


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STUDY  VII.  —  *jft&n&*  Conception  of  ^imself  anU  |)ifi> 

(  Continued  ) 
SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

I  .  To-day  review  the  discussions  of  the  past  week,  and  summarize 
all  that  has  been  ascertained  regarding  Jesus'  view  of  the  significance  of 
His  death.  Think  of  His  attitude  toward  His  death  as  a  part  of  His 
own  real  religious  experience.  He  lived  in  a  world  of  spiritual  realities, 
and  spoke  with  authority  to  the  world,  because  He  spoke  out  of  His  own 
experience.  This  must  have  been  especially  the  case  in  the  subject 
under  discussion,  which  was  evidently  one  of  supreme  importance  in 
the  thought  of  Jesus.  He  did  not  suffer  in  any  merely  official  capacity, 
nor  merely  to  carry  out  a  program  in  any  perfunctory  way,  but  because 
there  was,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  some  adequate  cause  for  the  real 
and  intense  mental  distress  that  He  exhibited  in  Gethsemane  and  on  the 
cross. 

It  has  become  clear  that  in  the  mind  of  Jesus  there  was  some  connec- 
tion between  His  experience  of  this  distressful  death  and  the  well-being 
of  great  numbers.  In  reviewing  the  week's  work  sum  up  the  evidence 
that  Jesus  perceived  (  I  )  the  fact  of  such  connection  and  (  2  )  the  nature 
of  the  connection. 

"  We  may  not  know,  we  cannot  tell, 

What  pains  He  had  to  bear  j 
But  we  believe  it  was  for  us 
He  hung  and  suffered  there. 

"  He  died  that  we  might  be  forgiven  ; 
•      He  died  to  make  us  good, 
That  we  might  go  at  last  to  heaven, 
Saved  by  His  precious  blood." 

Cecil  Frances  Alexander. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  VIII.  —  %wva?  Conception  of  ^imfielf  anfc  ^ifi 

(Continued} 

FIRST  DAY  :    JESUS'  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
His  DEATH  ACCORDING  TO  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN 

1.  We  now  turn  from  the  Synoptic  Gospels  to  the  Gospel  of  John. 
Read  John  2  :  19-22,  which  contains  Jesus'  first  allusion  to  His  death, 
an  allusion  obscure  and,  at  the  time,  unintelligible. 

2.  Read  3  :  1-15,  with  special  attention   to   the  last  two  verses. 
The  expression  "lifted  up  "  is  ambiguous  and  probably  did  not  sug- 
gest crucifixion  to  the  mind  of  Nicodemus.     Consider  whether  2:19, 
8  :  28,  and  12:32  indicate  that  Jesus  Himself  had  in  mind  the  cruci- 
fixion when  He  used  the  phrase.      If  He  did,  He  is  here  presenting 
the  significance  of  His  death  in  the  figure  of  the  brass  serpent  in  the 
wilderness.      Read  Num.  21  :  4-9.      Does  the  statement  here  in  John 
assert  that  there  is  any  connection  between  the  dying  of  Jesus  and  the 
eternal  living  of  men  ?     Does  it  assert  anything  regarding  the  nature  of 
such  connection  ?    That  is,  does  it  show  how  the  dying  of  Jesus  serves 
to  secure  the  eternal  life  of  men  ? 

This  reference  to  the  incident  in  the  wilderness  shows  with  what 
thoughts  Jesus  read  the  Scriptures.  Just  as  in  nature  He  saw  every- 
where suggestions  of  great  moral  truths,  which  He  wrought  into  para- 
ble and  illustration,  so,  as  He  read  the  law  and  the  prophets,  He  saw 
many  suggestions  of  Himself  and  illustrations  of  the  significance  of  His 
activity  (cf.  Luke  24  :  27).  Try  reverently  to  imagine  the  sensations 
of  Jesus  as  it  became  evident  to  Him  that  these  statements  in  the  He- 
brew Scriptures  referred  to  Himself  as  a  Messiah  destined  to  suffer. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  VIII.  —  JJefitia'  Conception  of  J)tmself  anfc  j)ta 

(  Continued) 

SECOND  DAY  :  JESUS'  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
His  DEATH  ACCORDING  TO  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN  (CON- 
TINUED) 

i  .  In  another  passage  in  John,  Jesus  speaks  of  His  death  under  the 
figure  of  the  death  of  the  devoted  shepherd.  Read  John  10  :  1-18, 
noting  carefully  all  sentences  that  bear  upon  the  question  under  dis- 
cussion. 

2.  The  Pharisees  had  excommunicated  an  innocent  man  from  the 
synagogue  (9  :  34),  which  was  a  terrible  disaster,  practically  shutting 
him  out  from  all  social  and  business  life.  They  had  assumed  to  be  the 
"  door  "  through  which  all  who  entered  God's  "  fold  "  must  pass.  In 
opposition  to  this  claim  Jesus  asserted  that  He  was  Himself  the  '«  door  " 
of  the  sheep  (v.  7).  They  had  represented  themselves  to  be  the 
"shepherds,"  but  Jesus  denied  their  right  to  the  title,  and  asserted 
that  He  was  Himself  the  "shepherd"  (v.  11).  He  proceeds  to 
describe  the  various  aspects  of  the  relation  that  He  as  shepherd  sustains 
to  the  flock  of  God,  and  in  v.  1  1  mentions  a  readiness  to  lay  down 
life  in  defence  of  His  sheep  as  one  of  the  characteristics  of  a  true  shep- 
herd. This  might  seem  to  be  no  more  than  a  mere  readiness  to  die, 
but  vv.  15-18  make  it  evident  that  Jesus  was  anticipating  an  actual 
death. 

3  .  Note  everything  to  be  learned  from  this  passage  on  the  following 
points  :  What  two  motives  led  Jesus  to  lay  down  His  life  ?  What 
good  did  it  do  the  sheep  to  have  the  shepherd  die  ?  That  is,  is  there 
any  hint  here  as  to  why,  and  how,  the  death  of  Jesus  was  beneficial 
to  men  ? 

4.  This  discourse  of  Jesus  brings  out  with  peculiar  force  the  tender 
feeling  that  Jesus  had  for  those  for  whom  He  died.  His  compassion 
had  just  been  strongly  excited  by  the  peculiarly  pathetic  case  of  the 
man  who,  after  long  years  of  blindness,  had  been  introduced  into  a 
new  world  of  vision  only  to  experience  the  spitefully  brutal  treatment 
of  those  who  presumed  to  stand  as  shepherds  over  the  flock  of  God. 
His  compassion,  so  stimulated,  seemed  to  overleap  the  bounds  of  racial 
distinction  and,  perhaps,  penetrating  the  future,  to  include  generations 
yet  unborn  (v.  16). 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  VIII.  —  %t&u&'  Conception  of  ^tmeielf  anfc  J)ts 

(  Continued) 

THIRD  DAY:  JESUS'  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
His  DEATH  ACCORDING  TO  THE  GOSPEL  OF  JOHN  (CON- 
CLUDED) 

1.  Another  impressive  utterance  of  Jesus  that  seems  to  have  a  bear- 
ing upon  the  question  of  His  attitude  toward  His  death  is  found  in  John 
i  2  :  24.      Note  in  the  context  the  evidence  that  the  thought  of  death 
was  engaging  His  mind,  vv.  7,  8,  10,  23,  25,  27,  32,  33. 

The  figure  is  that  of  the  grain  of  wheat,  that,  when  buried  in  the 
earth,  multiplies  itself  through  its  own  death  into  the  many  grains  that 
fill  the  head  of  a  new  wheat  stalk. 

2.  What  light  does  this  utterance  throw  on  (i)  the  motive  that 
actuated  Jesus,  or  (2)  the  result  that  He  hoped  to  gain  by  His  death? 
What  was  the  "loneliness"  that  He  seemed  to  dread?     See  other 
expressions  of  His  desire  for  the  society  of  men  in  John  14:3;  17:  24. 
Cf.  Rev.  7  :  9,  10.      Why  should  Jesus  care  for  the  society  of  men  ? 

3.  Examine  12  :  32,  33  in  the  light  of  this  thought.     This  passage 
pictures  men  attracted  from  all  directions  to  the  person  of  Jesus  by  the 
sight  of  His  death  —  "redemption  by  attraction."      What  was  there 
about  the  death  of  Christ  that  renders  Him  attractive  to  men  ? 

"The  cross  of  Christ,  as  if  it  were  the  glittering  eye  of  God,  has  in 
a  most  wondrous  way  held  man  spell-bound,  and  made  him  listen  to  its 
strange  story  '  like  a  three  years'  child  '  who  '  cannot  choose  but  hear.  ' 
Were  not  the  fact  so  familiar,  men  would  call  it  miraculous. 
We  can  hardly  imagine  what  the  cross  then  was  —  so  different  has  it  now 
become.  It  stood  almost  below  hatred,  was  the  instrument  of  death  to 
the  guiltiest  and  most  servile.  .  .  .  The  cross  did  not  eclipse  His 
name,  His  name  transfigured  the  cross,  making  it  luminous,  radiant, 
a  light  for  the  ages,  a  sign  of  the  gentleness  of  God." 

Fairbairn,  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 


53 


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STUDY  VIII.  —  %t&n&'  Conception  of  ^imself  an*  Jj)te 

(Continued} 

FOURTH  DAY  :  JESUS'  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
His   DEATH  (CONCLUDED) 

1.  We  have  seen  Jesus  presenting  His  death  and  its  significance 
under  the  figure  of  the  ransom,  the  paschal  lamb,  the  covenant  blood, 
the  brass  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  the  dying  shepherd,  and  the  grain 
of  wheat  in  the  ground.      Endeavor  now  to  sum  up  the  work  of  the 
last  ten  days  by  answering  as  definitely  as  you  can  the  following  ques- 
tions :     What  relation  did  Jesus  consider  His  death  to  sustain  to  the 
development  of  His  own  religious  life  and  character  ?     Did  He  con- 
sider His  death  to  be  a  source  of  advantage  to  others  ?     If  so,  of  what 
advantage  was  it  to  them  ?     How  did  it  secure  them  this  advantage  ? 

2.  There  has  been  little  difficulty  in  answering  all  these  questions 
except  the  last.      It  is  the  one  upon  which  the  teaching  of  Jesus  is  the 
least  explicit.    And,  indeed,  as  has  been  said  before,  it  is  difficult  to  see 
how  He  could  have  given  an  explicit  explanation  of  the  fact  of  His 
death  to  those  whom  He  could  not  convince  that  He  must  die.      The 
question  must  be  left  at  this  point  to  be  taken  up  again  in  Part  II, 
where  it  will  be  in  place  to  inquire  whether  the  apostles  later  saw  more 
clearly  the  significance  of  His  death. 

3.  Before  leaving  the  subject  it  is  proper  to  raise  one  question.     The 
dominant  thought  in  the  mind  of  Jesus  we  have  discovered  to  be,  that 
He  regarded  His  life  as  a  perfect  revelation  of  God.      He  assumed  to 
show  men  in  His  own  person  what  God  is  like.     This  assumption  He 
made  most  clearly  the  night  before  He  was  crucified  (John  14:9). 
Was  it  in  any  sense  also  true  of  Him  the  next  morning,  when  He 
hung  upon  the  cross  suffering  something  far  more  dreadful  than  the 
pain  in   the  palms  of  His  hands,  that  whoever  saw  Him  saw  the 
Father  ?     That  is,  can  Jesus'  conception  of  the  significance  of  His 
death  find  a  place  under  His  general  thought  of  Himself  as  the  revela- 
tion of  the  Father  ? 

"  When  I  survey  the  wondrous  cross 

On  which  the  Prince  of  Glory  died, 
My  richest  gain  I  count  but  loss, 
And  pour  contempt  on  all  my  pride. 

"  Forbid  it,  Lord,  that  I  should  boast, 

Save  in  the  death  of  Christ,  my  God  : 
All  the  vain  things  that  charm  me  most—    • 
I  sacrifice  them  to  His  blood. 

54 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


"  See,  from  His  head,  His  hands,  His  feet, 
Sorrow  and  love  flow  mingled  down  ! 
Did  e'er  such  love  and  sorrow  meet, 
Or  thorns  compose  so  rich  a  crown  ? 

"  Were  the  whole  realm  of  nature  mine, 
That  were  an  offering  far  too  small, 
Love  so  amazing,  so  divine, 

Demands  my  soul,  my  life,  my  all  !  " — Watts. 


STUDY  VIII. — ^Mttfi*  Conception  of  ^irncelf  anto  |)te  ;JHtefi!ton 

(  Continued} 
FIFTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  PART  I 

i.  There  are  now  three  days  for  the  review  of  Part  I,  and  for 
making  in  writing  a  definite  statement  of  results.  The  principal  ques- 
tions are,  Who  did  Jesus  think  Himself  to  be  ?  What  did  He  con- 
sider to  be  the  chief  purpose  of  His  life  ?  What  tdid  He  consider  to 
be  the  method  of  accomplishing  this  purpose  ?  In  answering  these 
questions  do  not  be  content  with  mere  titles  or  words,  but  inquire  always 
what  they  really  meant  to  Jesus.  Perhaps  you  will  find  it  convenient 
to  put  each  of  these  questions  at  the  top  of  a  blank  page,  and  under- 
neath to  make  note  of  all  suggestions  that  may  occur  to  you,  in  the 
course  of  the  review,  as  possibly  contributing  to  an  answer.  Out  of 
this  material  you  will  be  able  to  make  your  final  statement.  To-day 
read  over  Studies  I-III,  with  a  view  to  seeing  the  connection  between 
them,  and  to  seizing  upon  everything  that  contributes  to  an  answer  to 
the  questions  stated  above. 


SIXTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  PART  I  (CONTINUED) 

To-day  read  over  Studies  IV- VI,  following  the  suggestions  made 
yesterday. 


55 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  VIII.  —  Jefiufii'  Conception  of  ^imfielf  antr  |)ts 

(Concluded) 
SEVENTH  DAY  :  SUMMARY  OF  PART  I 

I  .  Make  the  best  statements  you  can  in  reply  to  the  questions  asked 
in  the  Fifth  Day's  Study,  using  the  material  you  have  been  gathering 
in  the  review  of  the  last  few  days,  and  the  conclusions  regarding  the 
significance  of  the  death  of  Jesus  recorded  on  the  fourth  day  of  the 
week. 

2.  We  have  become  so  accustomed  to  the  sound  of  the  words  of 
the  New  Testament  that  the  thought  they  express  does  not  impress  us 
as  it  would  impress  one  who  might  hear  them  for  the  first  time.  The 
real  marvel  of  the  self-consciousness  of  Jesus  does  not  appear  to  us,  until 
we  try  in  imagination  to  attribute  His  words  to  some  other  person. 
Select  in  thought  the  most  exemplary  person  of  your  acquaintance,  and 
imagine  Him  making  such  statements  as  these  :  "  Any  person  who 
does  not  love  me  better  than  he  loves  father  and  mother,  and  who 
would  not  sacrifice  his  life  for  my  sake,  is  not  worthy  of  the  friendship 
of  such  a  person  as  I  am."  "I  shall  one  day  resurrect  the  dead." 
"  I  shall  send  out  my  angels  into  all  the  world  to  summon  men  to 
judgment."  "  I  have  sufficient  discrimination  to  judge  all  men  unerr- 
ingly, and  to  send  them  into  misery  or  blessedness.  Their  attitude 
toward  me  will  be  what  determines  their  blessedness  or  misery."  "I 
am  an  independent  source  of  life  to  men,  just  as  God  is  '  '  (John 
5  :  26).  "  I  am  the  light  of  the  world."  "  No  one  will  ever  find 
God  except  through  me."  "If  anyone  wishes  to  know  what  kind 
of  person  God  is,  let  him  study  my  daily  life.  Whoever  sees  me, 
sees  God."  "If  any  man  believes  in  me,  he  can  ask  what  he  will 
of  God,  and  get  it."  "  If  any  man  loves  me  and  does  what  I  require 
of  him,  God  and  I  will  dwell  in  his  soul."  Suppose  that  the  most 
exemplary  friend  you  have  should,  in  a  series  of  private  conversations 
extending  over  a  year  or  more,  make  it  evident  that  he  had  such  an 
opinion  of  himself  as  these  statements  indicate.  What  would  you 
think  of  him  ?  There  are  only  three  theories  that  can  be  held  in  ex- 
planation of  such  a  man's  conduct,  and  all  three  were  advanced  by 
His  contemporaries,  to  account  for  the  conduct  of  Jesus. 

The  first  is  that  He  was  a  deceiver.  Read  John  8:13;  Matt. 
27  :  63.  To  be  sure  He  was  very  kind,  but  this  must  have  been  only 
to  make  His  deception  more  effective.  His  plan  was  not  simply  to 
secure  a  Jewish  Messiahship  but  a  world-empire.  It  was  the  most 

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colossal  case  of  hypocrisy,  and  revolt  against  God,  known  among 
men.  He  must  have  been  in  league  with  Satan  himself  (Mark  3:22). 
If  Jesus  was  a  deceiver,  Judas  Iscariot  was  a  patriot  to  be  classed  with 
Washington ;  Pontius  Pilate  was  an  unwilling,  but  real,  benefactor 
of  the  race  ;  and  the  Jewish  Sanhedrin,  a  body  deserving  to  be  classed 
with  the  great  legislative  bodies  that  have  wrought  for  the  liberties  of 
men.  But,  strangely  enough,  out  from  this  arch-hypocrite  has  flowed 
the  purest  religious  movement  that  is  known  to  men. 

A  second  supposition,  more  likely  to  be  made,  is  that  Jesus,  though 
a  very  good  man,  was  Himself  under  a  delusion.  This  view  was  held 
by  some  of  His  contemporaries,  John  10:20;  Mark  3:21.  It  could 
not  be  maintained  that  the  delusion  was  a  merely  temporary  aberration, 
for  it  was  woven  into  the  very  warp  and  woof  of  His  thought.  These 
ideas  mastered  Him.  He  gave  Himself  wholly  to  them.  A  man 
who  is  wholly  mastered  by  such  fundamental  delusions  regarding  him- 
self and  his  mission  is  simply  hopelessly  insane.  Jesus,  on  this  sup- 
position, becomes  the  world's  great  crazy  man.  On  this  supposition, 
strangely  enough,  Jesus'  wonderful  ethical  teachings  have  to  be  con- 
sidered as  the  product  of  a  deranged  mind,  and  all  the  subsequent  de- 
velopment of  the  Church  in  the  world  has  to  be  regarded  as  originating 
in  the  pious  ravings  of  a  fundamentally  unbalanced  man! 

The  only  other  explanation  of  the  consciousness  of  Jesus,  granting 
that  the  portrait  of  Jesus  given  us  in  the  Gospels  is  trustworthy,  is 
that  He  really  was  what  He  supposed  Himself  to  be, — the  perfect 
revelation  of  God  the  Father,  the  Lord  and  Saviour  of  mankind.  On 
this  supposition  the  astounding  assumptions  made  by  Jesus  do  not  de- 
stroy the  symmetry  and  poise  of  his  personality,  and  they  enhance, 
rather  than  vitiate,  the  value  of  His  religious  teaching.  There  seems 
to  us  no  incongruity  in  taking  the  attributes  of  God  and  ascribing  them 
to  this  personality  presented  in  the  Gospels.  It  does  not  offend  us  to 
hear  Him  say  that  whoever  has  seen  Him  has  seen  the  Father,  for  the 
world  has  produced  no  conception  of  God  that  is  higher,  or  more 
heartily  approved  by  its  moral  sense,  than  that  afforded  by  the  person- 
ality of  Jesus.  The  only  possible  escape  from  the  theory  that  Jesus 
was  what  He  is  represented  in  the  Gospels  to  have  been  is  to  suppose 
that  the  portrait  of  Jesus  in  the  Gospels  is  an  imaginary  or  exaggerated 
sketch,  with  no  corresponding  historical  reality  behind  it.  To  con- 
sider this  supposition  would  involve  a  discussion  of  the  historicity  of 
the  Gospels,  which  would  be  out  of  place  here.  It  may  be  said  in 
passing,  however,  that  such  a  theory  does  not  avoid  the  miraculous, 
for  there  seems  to  be  no  escape  from  the  alternative,  stated  long  ago 

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by  Horace  Bushnell,  that  the  literary  creation  of  such  a  character  as 
the  Jesus  of  the  Gospels  would  be  as  great  a  miracle  as  the  real  exist- 
ence of  such  a  personality. 

3.  There  are  various  ways  of  stating  what  Jesus  conceived  to  be 
His  mission  in  the  world,  probably  none  of  them  adequate  to  the  facts, 
because  our  appreciation  of  the  significance  of  His  character  and  life  is 
as  yet  imperfect.  Compare  the  following  statement  with  the  one  you 
have  already  made.  Jesus  conceived  Himself  to  be,  in  His  life,  death, 
and  resurrection,  a  clear,  adequate,  and  final  revelation  to  men  of  God 
the  Father  ;  and  as  such,  sought  to  attach  all  men  to  Himself  in  an 
obedient  affection  which,  and  which  alone,  should  transform  them  into 
such  sons  as  God  desires  and  ought  to  have. 

The  great  temptations  that  He  so  victoriously  resisted,  temptations 
commensurate  with  the  greatness  of  His  personality  and  the  importance 
of  His  work,  seem  to  have  been  temptations  to  become  something  that 
the  Father  was  not ;  to  be  content  with  some  other  result  than  the 
moral  transformation  of  individual  men ;  and  to  attempt  to  secure  this 
transformation  in  some  other  way  than  through  the  suffering  that  a 
good  person  must  experience,  when  he  enters  into  the  life  of  a  bad 
person,  that  is  very  dear  to  him,  with  the  purpose  of  morally  re-forming, 
or  regenerating  him. 


PART   II 

THE  APOSTOLIC  CONCEPTION  OF  JESUS 
AND    HIS   MISSION 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  IX. — (£()e  %po*tolic 
FIRST  DAY  :  THE  APOSTLES  OF  JESUS  CHRIST 

1 .  The  narrative  of  the  life  and  the  teaching  of  Jesus  contained 
in  the  Gospels  originated  with  the  apostles,  but  in  the  Gospels  the 
apostles  do  not,  to  any  considerable  extent  and  avowedly,  present  their 
own  views  regarding  the  person  and  mission  of  Jesus.      To  ascertain 
what  these  views  were  it  is  necessary  to  examine  the  body  of  literature 
that  has  come  down  to  us  under  the  general  title  of  the  "  Epistles." 
Most  of  these  "  Epistles"  were  written  by  busy  missionaries  to  meet 
special  emergencies  in  the  life  of  the  various  churches  with  which  these 
missionaries  were  connected.     They  are  not,  therefore,  systematic  and 
comprehensive  presentations  of  Christian  truth.      Certain   truths   de- 
manded by  the  emergency  are  stated  with  great  clearness  in  these  letters, 
but  other  truths  seem  rather  to  be  casually  assumed.      The  purpose  of 
the  studv  of  the  next  few  weeks  will  be  to  ascertain  what  the  apostles 
thought  H  the  personality  and  mission  of  Jesus.      It  is  appropriate  that 
such  an  investigation  should  be  introduced  by  a  brief  consideration  of 
the  apostles  themselves  and  the  apostolic  consciousness. 

2.  First  consider  briefly  who  they  were.    Read  the  apostolic  register 
hi  Mark  3  :  13-19.      What  are  the  two  qualifications  for  apostleship 
mentioned  in  AP*#  i  :  21-26  ?     Hard  and  fast  lines  were  not  drawn, 
for  one  of  these  "equirements  Paul  could  not  meet,  and  yet  he  Con- 
ceived himself  to  te  an  apostle.      On  what  did  he  base  his  conviction 
that  he  was  an  apostle  ?     Read  Gal.  i  :  i  ;  I  Cor.  9:1,2;  Act* 
26  :  15-18.    The  titJ«  seems  also  to  have  been  loosely  applied  to  some 
who  had  been  connected  with  Jesus  during  His  lifetime,  and  who  per- 
haps had  been  among  tb*?  €ve  hundred  who  saw  Him  after  His  resur- 
rection (I  Cor.  15  :  6).      Read  Acts  14  :  14  and  Rom.  16  :  7. 

Certain  persons  in  whos?  character  Paul  had  not  confidence  seem  ta 
have  claimed  the  title,  probably  on  the  ground  of  some  connection 
with  Jesus  during  His  lifetime  (F  C«r  *  I  i  <f-*8X 


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STUDY  IX.  —  C&e  &p0flitoUc 
SECOND  DAY  :  THE  TRAINING  OF  THE  TWELVE 

i  .  It  was  not  unusual  for  a  rabbi  to  have  disciples.  John  the  Bap- 
tist was  the  center  of  a  company  of  disciples  to  whom  he  probably 
gave  religious  instruction  and  to  whom  he  certainly  taught  forms  of 
prayer  (Luke  II  :  i).  But  Jesus'  relation  to  the  Twelve  seems  to 
have  been  characterized  by  some  peculiar  features  growing  out  of  the 
unique  character  of  His  own  personality  and  mission.  The  number 
twelve  must  have  seemed  to  His  critics  to  have  a  suspicious  political 
significance  during  the  days  when  He  was  suspected  of  having  Mes- 
sianic aspirations,  and  it  certainly  had  a  political  significance  in  the 
minds  of  the  Twelve.  Read  Matt.  19  :  28.  Very  early  Jesus  began 
to  give  them  a  share  in  His  own  work.  Read  Mark  3  :  1  4,  1  5  ;  6  :  7- 
13,  30.  In  the  latter  part  of  His  ministry  He  withdrew  to  a  consid- 
erable extent  from  the  world  and  concentrated  His  attention  upon  the 
Twelve.  He  instilled  into  their  minds  the  idea  that  they  must  make 
known  to  the  nation  and  to  the  world  what  He  was  privately  teaching 
them,  although,  as  He  fairly  warned  them,  by  doing  so  they  would 
incur  the  dangerous  hatred  of  which  He  was  Himself  already  the  object. 
Read  carefully  Matt.  10  :  24-33  ;  28  :  16-20. 

2.  According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  He  encouraged  them  to  think 
that  the  share  in  His  own  activity  that  He  had  already  given  them 
would  in  the  future  grow  into  something  greater  than  even  He  Himself 
had  yet  accomplished.      Read  John  14  :  12,  13. 

And  yet  they  were  slow  to  take  in  His  fundamental  ideas.  They 
failed  utterly  to  catch  His  idea  of  redemption  through  suffering,  and, 
even  after  the  resurrection,  they  had  not  discarded  the  conception  cur- 
rent among  their  countrymen,  that  the  Kingdom  of  God  was  a  political 
organization  of  pious  Jews  (Acts  I  :  6).  When  Jesus  was  already 
under  the  shadow  of  the  cross  they  were  disgracefully  quarreling  over 
the  prospective  political  offices  in  the  new  Kingdom  (Mark  9  :  30-34  ; 
10  :  32-41),  and  Jesus  finally  had  to  say  to  them  that  unless  they 
ceased  to  be  of  this  spirit  they  would  enter,  not  into  the  Kingdom  of 
God,  but  into  the  fires  of  Gehenna.  Read  Mark  9  :  43-50,  noticing 
particularly  the  last  sentence. 

3.  In  spite  of  their  slowness  to  perceive  Jesus*  fundamental  ideas, 
His  purpose  for  them  was  being  accomplished.      One  reason  for  ap- 
pointing them  had  been   "  that  they  might  be  with  Him*'  (Mark 
3  :  14),  and  they  were  steadily  storing  up  impressions  of  His  person- 

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/dity,  the  significance  of  which  they  probably  only  partially  realized  at 
the  time.  They  also  heard  Him  repeat  in  synagogue,  market,  and 
by  the  sea-shore  the  great  truths  that  filled  His  mind.  Consider  the 
significance  of  Mark  4:33,  34  in  this  connection.  Many  of  these 
statements  of  truth  may  have  been  to  them  like  words  learned  by  chil- 
dren with  little  conception  of  their  meaning,  but  destined  in  after  years 
to  fill  their  minds  with  real  truth.  Their  minds  in  after  years  must 
often  have  reverted  to  the  experiences  of  the  days  of  their  discipleship0 
It  may  be  a  true  glimpse  into  the  consciousness  of  "St.  John  the  Aged  *' 
!n  Ephesus  that  some  nameless  poet  has  described: 

"  Oh,  what  holy  walks  we  had 
Through  harvest  fields,  and  desolate,  dreary  wastes  ! 
And  oftentimes  He  leaned  upon  my  arm, 
Wearied  and  wayworn.      I  was  young  and  strong 
And  so  upbore  Him.     Lord,  now  I  am  weak, 
And  old,  and  feeble  !     Let  me  rest  on  Thee  ! 
So,  put  Thine  arm  around  me.      Closer  still  ! 
How  strong  Thou  art  !     The  twilight  draws  apace. 
Come,  let  us  leave  these  noisy  streets,  and  take 
The  path  to  Bethany  j  for  Mary's  smile 
Awaits  us  at  the  gate,  and  Martha's  hands 
Have  long  prepared  the  cheerful  evening  meal. 
Come,  James,  the  Master  waits  j  and  Peter,  see, 
Has  gone  some  steps  before. 

"  What  say  you,  friends  ? 
That  this  is  Ephesus,  and  Christ  has  gone 
Back  to  His  Kingdom  ?     Aye,  'tis  so,  'tis  so. 
I  know  it  all ;  and  yet,  just  now,  I  seemed 
To  stand  once  more  upon  my  native  hills, 
And  touch  my  Master.     Oh,  how  oft  I've  seen 
The  touching  of  His  garment  bring  back  strength 
To  palsied  limbs  !     I  feel  it  has  to  mine." 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  IX. 

THIRD  DAY  :  CONSCIOUSNESS  OF  SPECIAL  CONNECTION  WITH 
JESUS  CHRIST 

I  .  An  examination  of  the  Epistles,  made  with  a  view  to  under- 
standing the  apostolic  consciousness  and  ascertaining  how  it  must  have 
felt  to  be  an  apostle,  naturally  brings  to  light  first  of  all  a  consciousness 
on  the  part  of  the  apostles  of  peculiar  previous  connection  with  Jesus. 
In  the  opening  sentences  of  all  but  four  of  Paul's  letters  he  formally 
designates  himself  as  Jesus  Christ's  "apostle."  Examine  some  of 
them,  particularly  Gal.  I  :  I.  The  fact  that  his  right  to  the  title  was 
disputed  perhaps  accounts,  in  part,  for  his  frequent  use  of  it.  See  I 
Cor.  9:1.  Note  also  I  Peter  I  :  I  and  II  Peter  I  :  I  .  While  John 
does  not  use  the  title  in  the  opening  sentences  of  I  John,  there  is  in  all 
apostolic  literature  no  more  impressive  appeal  to  connection  with  Jesus 
Christ  as  the  source  of  the  apostolic  message  than  that  found  in  these 
sentences.  Read  very  carefully  I  John  I  :  1-5,  noting  what  it  is  that 
is  emphasized  with  three-fold  repetition.  To  whom  does  the  pronoun 
"  we  "  in  this  paragraph  refer  ?  Read  also  I  :  1  4  in  the  Gospel  of  John. 

2.  The  more  clearly  the  apostles  realized  the  exalted  character  of 
the  personality  of  Jesus,  the  more  significant  must  the  fact  of  their 
months  or  years  of  association  with  Him  have  seemed  to  them.  Read, 
for  instance,  such  a  passage  as  Phil.  2:6-11.  Conceive  an  apostle  to 
be  speaking  these  words  and  remembering  a  period  in  his  life  when  the 
personality  here  described  had  stood  by  his  side  in  the  fishing-boat, 
hauling  with  him  at  the  heavy  nets,  or  had  sat  at  his  table,  or  had 
dropped  behind  the  rest  of  the  company,  as  they  walked  through  the 
country,  to  talk  privately  with  him. 

"  Some  seventy  years  ago 
I  was  a  fisher  by  the  sacred  sea. 
It  was  at  sunset.      How  the  tranquil  tide 
Bathed  dreamily  the  pebbles  !     How  the  light 
Crept  up  the  distant  hills,  and  in  its  wake 
Soft  purple  shadows  wrapped  the  dewy  fields  ! 
And  then  He  came  and  called  me.      Then  I  gazed, 
For  the  first  time,  on  that  sweet  face.      Those  eyes 
From  out  of  which,  as  from  a  window,  shone 
Divinity,  looked  on  my  inmost  soul, 
And  lighted  it  forever.      Then  His  words 
Broke  on  the  silence  of  my  heart,  and  made 
The  whole  world  musical.     Incarnate  Love 
Took  hold  of  me  and  claimed  me  for  its  own. 
I  followed  in  the  twilight,  holding  fast 
His  mantle."  —  Anonymous.      St.  John  the  Aged. 

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OTUDY  IX.  —  @£(je  Slpofiitolic 
FOURTH  DAY  :  CONSCIOUSNESS  OF  COMMISSION 

1.  The  dominant  impression  with  which  the  apostles  came  forth 
from  this  period  of  association  with  Jesus  was  that  of  vocation.      The 
word  "  apostle  "  —  "  one  sent  forth  with  orders  "  —  itself  implies  com- 
mission.     These  men  knew  definitely  what  they  were  in  the  world 
for. 

One  of  the  most  impressive  features  of  Jesus'  character  had  been  His 
strenuous  sense  of  vocation.  According  to  the  Gospel  of  John  He 
spoke  of  Himself  some  forty  times  as  one  «'  sent."  This  sense  of  being 
"sent  "  He  bequeathed  to  His  apostles.  Read  John  20  :  21.  The 
more  clearly  they  realized  the  significance  of  His  mission  the  more  pro- 
foundly they  were  impressed  with  the  reality  and  importance  of  their 
own. 

See  Paul's  sense  of  this  as  expressed  in  I  Tim.  i  :  I  2,  13  ;  Gal. 

1  :  i.      Read    also  Acts    26  :  12-20.      Imagine    yourself  conversing 
with  Paul  as  he  was  about  to  enter  upon  some  new  and  difficult  field 
of  work,  and  consider  what  sense  he  would  have  had  of  a  mighty 
sending  power  behind  him. 

2.  The  careers  entered  upon  in  obedience  to  the  apostolic  appoint- 
ment of  Jesus  they  conceived  to  be  of  world-wide  significance.      This 
followed  necessarily  from  their  conception  of  the  career  of  Jesus   as 
world-wide  in  its  significance.      They  had  stepped  out  from  the  nar- 
row confines  of  little  Palestine  and  were  now,  in  their  own  thought, 
the  leading  characters  in  the  great  world-drama.      They  were  objects 
of  interest  even  to  other  worlds.      Note  Paul's  dramatic  presentation 
of  this  conception  in  I  Cor.  4  :  9. 

3  .  What  did  they  conceive  to  have  been  Jesus'  estimate  of  the  im- 
portance of  their  office  as  compared  with  that  of  other  ministering  of- 
ficials of  the  Church?  Read  I  Cor.  12  :  28  ;  Eph.  4:11,  12. 
Note  also  that  Paul  classes  them  with  Jesus  Christ  as  constituting  the 
foundation  upon  which  the  vast  superstructure  of  the  Church  rests  (Eph. 

2  :  20-22).       Read  II  Cor.  3  :  7-13  to  ascertain  what  Paul  thought 
of  the  importance  of  his  position  and  work  as  compared  with  the  posi- 
tion and  work  of  Moses. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  IX.  —  ®:|)e  &p0ait0Uc 
FIFTH  DAY  :  CONSCIOUSNESS  OF  COMMISSION  (CONTINUED) 

I  .  The  question  arises,  What  did  the  apostles  consider  themselves 
commissioned  to  do  ?  What  did  they  conceive  to  be  their  vocation  ? 
Read  the  following  passages,  as  well  as  any  others  that  may  occur  to 
you,  and  formulate  a  reply.  Rom.  1:5;!  Cor.  1:17;  2:1-5; 
II  Cor.  5  :  20  ;  Eph.  3:1-13  ;•  II  Tim.  i  :  1  1.  It  is  not  desir- 
able at  this  time  to  attempt  anything  more  than  a  general  reply  to  this 
question,  for  the  matter  will  come  again  for  detailed  discussion  when 
the  apostolic  conception  of  the  disciple  and  his  mission  is  considered  in 
Part  IV. 

2.  The  apostles  considered  the  gospel  as  a  trust  committed  to  them 
by   God.      Read  I  Thess.  2  :  4.       Paul  sometimes  spoke  of  certain 
salient  truths  of  the  Gospel  as  "mysteries,"  having  in  mind  perhaps 
the    "mysteries  "   of  the   Greek    secret   societies.      These   Christian 
"mysteries"   had  for  ages  lain  concealed  in  the  mind  of  God  but 
were  now  revealed  to  the  apostles,  who  served  as  God's  "stewards," 
or  administrators  to  disburse  them  to  all  men.      With  this  thought  in 
mind  read  Eph.  3  :  i-n,  adopting  the  marginal  reading  "  steward- 
ship" instead  of  "  dispensation  "  in  vv.  2  and  9. 

3.  It  follows  from  this  conception  of  the  apostolic  commission  that 
it  carries  with  it  a  strong  sense    of  accountability.       Read  carefully 
I  Cor.  4  :  1-5.      To  whom  did  they  expect  to  report  ?     What  would 
constitute  a  successful  report  ?     Read  I  Thess.  2:19,  20. 

"  Since  I,  whom  Christ's  mouth  taught,  was  bidden  teach, 
I  went  for  many  years  about  the  world, 
Saying  '  It  was  so  :  so  I  heard  and  saw,' 
Speaking  as  the  case  asked  :  and  men  believed." 

Browning,  A  Death  in  the  Desert. 


66 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  IX.  —  CTjje  &po0tolic  C0n0ctott0ne00 
SIXTH  DAY:  THE  CONSCIOUSNESS  OF  AUTHORITY 

i  .  A  prominent  feature  of  the  apostolic  consciousness,  as  it  incident- 
ally reveals  itself  in  the  apostolic  writings,  is  a  marked  sense  of  author- 
ity. Note  the  evidence  of  this  in  I  Cor.  7  :  8-  1  2,  where  in  v.  10 
Paul  quotes  a  commandment  of  Jesus  current  in  the  Church,  and  in  v. 

I  2  puts  a  commandment  of  his  own  beside  it,  providing  for  a  case  not 
discussed  by  Jesus.      Read  also  I  Cor.  14  :  37.      Consider  the  bear- 
ing of  the  explicit  statements  in  II  Cor.  13  :  2,  3,  10.      Compare  the 
basis  for  this  sense  of  authority  afforded  by  such  statements  of  Jesus  as 
those  in  Matt.  18  :  18,  John  20  :  23. 

2.  This  evident  consciousness  of  authority  must  have  been  strongly 
corroborated  by  the  power  to  perform  occasional  miracles  which,  in  at 
least  two  passages,  Paul  represents  himself  to  have  possessed.      Read 

II  Cor.  12:12;  Rom.  15:18,  19,  and  compare  Acts  2  .-22.    The 
fact  that   they  found  themselves  in  some  measure  able  to  continue  the 
miracle  working  of  Jesus  must  have  greatly  encouraged  them  to  feel 
chat,  in  some  measure  at  least,   He  had  also  delegated  to  them  au- 
thority.     Supporting  this  sense  of  authority  was  their  fundamental  con- 
sciousness of  the  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  one  evidence  of  which 
indorsement  they  must  have  found  in  their  power  to  work  occasional 
miracles. 

3.  If  this  consciousness  of  authority  ever  tended  to  produce  undue 
exhilaration,  there  was  one  consideration  ever  present  in  the  minds  of 
the  apostles  that  tended  to  subdue  and  chasten  them.      Read  Col.  I  : 
24  ;  I  Cor.  4  :  9. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  'Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  IX.  —  CJe  SlpOStoltC 
SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

It  is  a  most  remarkable  body  of  men  that  stands  grouped  about  Jesus 
Christ  at  the  beginning  of  Christian  history.  The  least  of  their  occupa- 
tions at  the  time  seemed  that  of  authorship,  but  there  has  been  no  literary 
influence  more  potent  than  that  of  their  writings  in  shaping  the  thought 
of  the  world.  It  has  changed  the  current  of  civilization  in  many  na- 
tions. Furthermore,  the  influence  of  this  literature,  instead  of  waning 
in  the  crush  of  books  that  pour  from  the  press  in  our  day,  seems  to  be 
but  just  beginning.  They  were  never  before  so  carefully  and  widely 
studied  as  to-day.  It  is  evident  that  Jesus,  who  Himself  wrote  no 
book,  intended  through  them  to  bring  the  influence  of  His  thought  to 
bear  upon  the  life  of  the  world.  This  fact  gives  them  their  authority. 
Their  authors  had  a  unique  experience  with  Jesus,  and  out  of  this  ex- 
perience, shaped  and  dominated  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  there  issued,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  evident  plan  of  God,  this  literature,  that  is  trans- 
forming the  thought  and  life  of  the  world. 

Review  the  Studies  of  the  week,  and  gather  up  what  seem  to  you 
to  be  the  principal  features  of  the  apostolic  consciousness.  Also  answer 
one  question  closely  related  to  the  matter  discussed  in  the  Study, 
though  not  considered  in  just  this  form,  —  What  were  the  principal 
motives  that  actuated  the  apostles  in  their  lives  of  strenuous  endeavor  ? 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  X. — C&e  &po0tolic  Conception  of  t&e  life  of 

FIRST    DAY  :    THE    APOSTLE    PETER'S    APPRECIATION    OF 
THE  PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  JESUS 

1 .  In  the  last  Study  devotion  to  the  person  of  Jesus  was  seen  to  be 
a  fundamental  characteristic  of  the  apostles.     The  reason  for  this  de- 
votion is  found  in  the   fact   that  Jesus  possessed  certain  qualities  that 
made  His  personality  attractive.      No  person  likes  another  unless  he 
finds  in   the  other  certain  qualities,  real  or  potential,  that  render  the 
person  likable.      After  Jesus  disappeared  in  the  heavens,  the  Messianic 
conception  held  by  the  apostles  must  have  greatly  enlarged,  and  their 
reverence  must  have  deepened.      But   while  simple  power  and  high 
position  may  produce  awe,  they  do  not  produce  affection.     Affection 
finds  its  ground  in  attractive  personal  qualities.      The  only  means  the 
apostles  had  of  knowing  the  personal  qualities  of  their  glorified  Lord, 
now  in  the  heavens,  was  their  previous  acquaintance  with  Him  in  His 
humiliation.      When  Zacchaeus  thought  of  the  glorified  Christ  in  the 
heavens,  he  was  able  to  think  of  Him  as  possessing  the  gracious  qual- 
ities that  became  evident  when  He  lodged  for  a  night  in  the  unpopular 
Jericho  home. 

Furthermore,  the  significance  of  the  death,  resurrection,  and  subse- 
quent glorified  life  of  Jesus  depends  wholly  upon  the  general  character 
and  nature  of  Him  who  died,  rose,  and  lives  again.  This  personal 
character  and  nature  were  revealed  in  the  earthly  life  of  Jesus. 

2.  The  question,  then,  is,  What  personal  qualities  of  Jesus  do  the 
apostles  represent  themselves   to  have  found  most  impressive  ?     What 
reply  would  they  have  given  to  one  who  asked  them,  What  kind  of 
person  was  your  rabbi  ?     The  earliest  apostolic  allusions  to  the  life  of 
Jesus  are  found  in  the  addresses  of  Peter  recorded  in  the  Acts.      Read 
Acts  10  :  34-38,  especially  v.  38,  and  note  (i)  what  it  was  in  the 
activity  of  Jesus,  and  (2)  what  it  was  in  the  relation  of  Jesus  to  God, 
that  impressed  Peter  most  deeply.      What  further  light  is   thrown  on 
the  latter  point  by  Peter's  statement  in  Acts  2  :  22  ?     Also  by  the 
statement  in  II  Pet.  i  :  16-18  (cf.  Mark  9  :  2-8)  ? 

3 .  What  further  personal  quality  of  Jesus  is  seen  from  I  Pet.  2:22 
to  have  impressed  Peter  ?  What  does  ««  guile  "  mean  in  this  sentence  ? 
Does  I  Pet.  1:19  have  any  bearing  on   this  point  ?     What   further 
quality  is  described  in  I  Pet.  2:23?     Had  Peter  seen  any  instance  of 
this?     Consider  also  3  :  18. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  X. — G£J)e  &po0tolit  Conception  of  tje  life  of 

SECOND    DAY  :    THE    APOSTLE    PAUL'S    APPRECIATION    OF 
THE  PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  JESUS 

1.  It  is  possible  that  Paul  may  have  seen  Jesus  in  the  streets  of  Jeru- 
salem, but  there  is   no   positive  proof  of  it.      The  statement  in  I  Cor. 

9  :  i    probably  refers  to  the  post-resurrection  appearance  of  Jesus  to 
Paul ;  and  the  statement  in  II  Cor.  5:16  may  mean  that  Christ  is  no 
longer  to   be  thought  of  as  a  Jew.      Yet  Paul  felt  for  Jesus  a  depth  of 
personal  affection  such  as  could  be  produced  only  by  the  recognition  of 
certain  attractive  qualities  in  the  object  of  affection.      Read  Phil.  3  :  7- 
10.      The  query  is,  What  had  Paul  seen  in  the  life  and  character  of 
Jesus  that  produced  such  affection  ? 

2.  His  momentous  interview   with  Jesus  near  Damascus  occurred, 
of  course,  after  the  death  of  Jesus,  and   its  consideration  is  not  strictly 
in  place  here.      However,  all  that  Paul  heard  from  others  about  the 
life  of  Jesus,  he  must  have  interpreted  in  the  light  of  this  Damascus  ex- 
perience.     Several  characteristics  of  Jesus  were  manifested  in  this  inter- 
view,— a  power  to  call  to  account,  great  patience,  a  large  capacity  for 
forgiveness  with  no  trace  of  resentment,   and    strong  love  for    men. 
Read  very  carefully  Paul's  account  of  this  interview  in  Acts  26  :  9-18, 
and  the  summary  of  his  impressions  given  in  I  Tim.  I  :  12-16,  not- 
ing the  characteristics  just  mentioned  and  any  others  that  you  find. 

3.  Among  the  few  characteristics  of  the  earthly  life  of  Jesus  that  are 
incidentally  mentioned  by  Paul,  note  the  following  :  II  Cor.  5:21; 

10  :  I.      What    characteristic    is    specified    in    Rom.   15:3?     What 
motive  lay  back  of  the  characteristic  specified  in  II  Cor.  8:9.      Per- 
haps the  most  distinct  and  yet  comprehensive  characterization  of  Jesus' 
earthly  life  found  in  all  Paul's  writings  is  expressed  in  one  word  that 
occurs  in  Phil.  2:7.     What  word  is  it  ?    Its  profound  influence  upon 
the  life  of  Paul  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  he  uses  the  same  word  in   II 
Cor.  4  :  5  to  describe  his  own  life.      Perhaps  the  incident  afterward 
described  in  John's  Gospel,  13  :  i-n,  was  known  to  Paul,  as  well  as 
the  statement  now  found  in  Mark  10  :  45. 


Studies  In  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  X.— C&c  Apostolic  Conception  of  t&e  life  of 

THIRD  DAY  :  PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  JESUS  MEN- 
TIONED IN  HEBREWS 

1 .  The  references  in  Hebrews  to  the  life  of  Jesus  are  more  explicit 
than  those  of  any  other  epistle.      Certain  scenes  in  the  narrative  of  the 
life  of  Jesus  seem   to  have  appealed   strongly  to   the  quick  imagination 
and  deeply  emotional  nature  of  the  eloquent  author  of  this  epistle. 

2.  In  the  study  of  statements  made  in  this  epistle  remember  that  it 
is  merely  the  characteristics  of  Jesus  that  are  to  be  noted  now.     The 
larger   question   of  the  significance  of  His  life  to  the  life  of  the  world 
will  be  considered  on  another  day.      Read  carefully  2  :  10-18.      What 
are  the   four   or  five  personal  characteristics  of  Jesus  alluded  to  in  the 
passage  ?     What  scene,  or  scenes,  in  the  life  of  Jesus  do   you  suppose 
the  author  had  in  mind  ? 

3.  Read  4  :  14-5  :  10.      What  are  the  four  or  five  personal  char- 
acteristics alluded  to  by  the  author  in  this  passage  ?     What  scenes  in 
the  life  of  Jesus  had  the  author  in  mind  here  ? 

4.  Read  also  3:1,2  and  determine  what  quality  of  Jesus  that  had 
impressed   the  author  is  mentioned   here.      Can   you  think  of  any  in- 
stances in  the  life  of  Jesus  that  would  afford  ground  for  such  a  charac- 
terization of  Him  ?     Remember  to   record   all  these   characteristics  so 
that  you  can  sum  them  up  easily  at  the  end  of  the  investigation. 

5.  There  is  no  more  inspiring  portrayal  of  the  exalted  Christ  to  be 
found  in  the  New  Testament  than  that  which  is  so  vividly  presented  in 
this  epistle,  and  at  the  same  time  there  is  no  more  realistic  presentation 
of  His  previous  struggle  with  temptation  and  hostile  opposition.     Try 
to  bring   yourself  to  the  view-point  of  this  author,  and  to  think  of 
Jesus  as  really  being  to-day  such   an  one   as  is   described  in  I  :  1-6. 
Then  think  of  Him  as  looking  back  in  His  personal  history  to  the  ex- 
perience described  in  5  :  7-10. 

"  By  His  sufferings  He,  '  though  a  Son,  learned  obedience.'  There 
is  no  implied  antithesis  to  former  disobedience.  He  who  was  f  without 
sin  J  had  never  to  unlearn,  only  to  learn.  His  humanity,  while  at  first 
equipped  with  everything  that  was  native  to  man,  had  to  acquire  what- 
ever was  acquirable.  .  .  .  Here  lay  the  worth  and  meaning  of 
His  sorrow  :  it  was  His  great  educator.  He  went  into  it  the  one 
stainless  child  ;  He  came  out  of  it  the  one  obedient  man.  He  en- 
tered its  school  only  innocent ;  He  left  it  perfectly  righteous." 

Fairbairn,  Studies  in  the  Life  of  Christ. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  X. — (£J)e  &pofitolic  Conception  of  t&e  life  of 

FOURTH  DAY  :    THE    APOSTLE    JOHN'S    APPRECIATION   OF 
THE  PERSONAL  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  JESUS 

1 .  No  other  of  the   apostles   came  so  near  to  the  personal  life  of 
Jesus  as  did  the  one  "whom  Jesus  loved/*      See  John  13  :  23  ;   21  : 
20.      No  other  apostle  gives  evidence  of  looking  back  upon  the  period 
of  earthly  discipleship  with  such  keen  appreciation  of  what  it  meant  to 
him.      Read  once  more  I  John  I  :  1-4,  remembering  that  it  was  prob- 
ably written  when  the  author  was  an  aged  man.      In  the  case  of  this 
apostle,  more  than  in  the  case  of  any  other,  one  would  like  to  inquire 
regarding  the  impression  made  by  daily  association  with  Jesus. 

2.  Fortunately  there  is  one  brief  statement  in  his  writings  that  sums 
up  his  impression.      Two  striking  characteristics  stood  out  as  he  looked 
back  across  the  years  at  the  figure  of  Jesus.      Read  John  I  :  14-17. 

3 .  "  Grace ' '  means  a  fascinating,  gladdening  kindness,  particularly 
kindness  manifested  to  an  inferior,  or  to  one  that  cannot  claim  it  as  his 
right.      As  you  remember  the  Gospel  narrative,  what  actions  of  Jesus 
(i)  in    His   personal   intercourse  with  His  apostles,  and  (2)  in  His 
intercourse  with  others,  would  John  probably  have  cited  as  illustrations 
of  His  extraordinary  kindness.      See  in  John  13  :  1-5,  especially  v.  3, 
one  incident  that  profoundly  impressed  John.      Probably  the  instances 
in  which  John  was  rebuked  for  his  own  lack  of  "  grace  ' '  would  have 
been   among   the  number.      See  Luke  9  :  49-56  ;   Mark  10  :  35-45. 
John  says  that  Jesus  was  "  full  "  of  grace.      It  overflowed  steadily  and 
the  apostles  experienced  instance  after  instance  of  it  (John  i  :  16). 

4.  The    other    personal    characteristic,    "truth,"   seems    to    mean 
"  honesty,"    "  genuineness."      He  was  full  not  only  of  "  kindness  " 
but  of  "  honesty."   He  could  not  reconcile  Himself  to  any  insincerity. 
Especially  in  religious  life  all  sham  was  repulsive  to  Him  and  called 
out  His  most  searching  criticisms.      What  would  John  have  cited  as 
instances  of  this?     Read  especially  Matt.  23  :  23-28.     Note  also  the 
jealous  care  with  which  He  tried  to  keep  His  disciples  free  from  prev- 
alent religious   insincerity,  Luke   12:1.      Note  also  the  casual  com- 
ments made  by  John  in  his  Gospel,  2  :  24,  25  ;  6  :  64. 

5.  It  is  this  combination  of  fascinating  kindness  and  unswerving 
candor  in  infinite  perfection  that  makes  Jesus  a  "Saviour."      We  live 
day  by   day  under   the  purifying  influence  of  an  infinite  personality 
whose  kindness  and  honesty  are  to  be  communicated  increasingly  to  us 
whom  He  has  called  His  "friends  "  (John  15:15). 

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Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  "Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  X.  —  C&e  Apostolic  Conception  of  t&e  life  of 

FIFTH  DAY  :  THE    APOSTOLIC    CONCEPTION  OF    THE  SIG- 
NIFICANCE OF  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

i  .  We  have  thus  far  noted  the  personal  characteristics  of  Jesus,  and 
have  now  to  consider  what  significance  to  the  apostolic  mind  a  life 
possessed  of  such  characteristics  had  for  the  world.  One  recognizes 
the  difficulty  of  considering  the  earthly  life  of  Jesus  by  itself,  for 
it  is  the  whole  career  of  Jesus,  His  life,  death,  resurrection  and 
continued  spiritual  existence,  that  are  represented  by  the  apostles  as 
significant.  Some  things  are  said,  however,  about  each  of  these 
periods  or  events  in  His  career,  and  a  consideration  of  them  in  detail 
leads  to  a  clearer  understanding  of  the  career  as  a  whole. 

2.  First  of  all  get  before  you  the  list  of  characteristics  that  have  been 
brought  to  light  by  the  study  of  the  last  four  days. 

3  .  Now  endeavor  to  answer  the  question,  Of  what  significance  was 
the  life  of  Jesus  to  the  world,  in  the  apostolic  thought  ?  Read  first  the 
Johannine  view,  which  happens  to  be  the  most  comprehensive  and 
fundamental,  as  it  appears  in  John  I  :  18.  State  in  your  own  words 
what  is  here  represented  to  be  the  function  of  the  life  of  Jesus.  Note 
also  in  this  connection  1:14.  Consider  the  significance  of  the  title 
"  Word  "  which  John  here  applies  to  the  personality  of  Jesus.  What 
is  the  relation  of  the  audible  or  legible  "word"  to  the  invisible 
thought?  The  origin  of  the  expression  "Word,"  or  "Logos,"  as  a 
title  of  the  Messiah,  cannot  be  discussed  here.  Read  again  I  John 
I  :  1-4,  and  then  note  the  significant  word  "  message"  in  the  next 
verse.  Read  also  in  the  same  connection  Heb.  1:1,2. 

4.  The  most  significant  fact  in  the  history  of  the  human  race  is  the 
fact  that  it  has  been  spoken  to  by  God.  God  has  shown  Himself  to 
be  persistently  bent  upon  saying  something  to  men,  first  through 
prophets  and  then,  with  increasing  distinctness,  through  a  "Son" 
(Heb.  i  :  i,  2).  When  a  being  like  God  shows  Himself  so  deter- 
mined to  say  something  to  men,  it  must  be  something  of  importance  to 
which  it  is  worth  while  for  all  men  to  listen.  Give  the  best  answer 
you  can  out  of  your  own  personal  experience  to  the  question,  What  is 
the  gist  of  the  "  message  "  that  God  has  "  spoken  "  to  the  world 
through  the  life  of  Jesus  ?  Let  this  be  one  of  the  questions  which  you 
often  ask  with  the  expectation  of  giving  a  steadily  enlarging  answer. 


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Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  "Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  X.  —  C|)e  &po0tolu  Conception  of  tlje  life  of 

SIXTH    DAY:    THE    APOSTOLIC    CONCEPTION  OF    THE  SIG- 
NIFICANCE OF  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS  (CONCLUDED) 

I  .  Read  Heb.  2  :  I  o-  1  8  with  a  view  to  answering  this  question  : 
In  what  particulars  does  the  author  represent  the  earthly  life  of  Jesus 
to  have  been  of  advantage  to  men  ?  One  realizes  here  the  difficulty  of 
treating  the  life  and  death  of  Jesus  separately,  but  endeavor  now  to  see 
what  the  passage  says  about  the  life  of  Jesus,  leaving  its  statements 
about  the  significance  of  His  death  for  later  study.  It  seems  to  be  as- 
sumed that  to  do  another  real  good  you  must  come  near  to  him,  and 
establish  first  of  all  a  relationship  with  him.  How  is  the  earthly  life  of 
Jesus  represented  as  affording  men  a  sense  of  His  "  brotherliness  "  ? 
Read  also  4  :  14-5  19,  looking  for  light  here  too  upon  the  significance 
of  the  life  of  Jesus. 

2.  There  is  one  sort  of  reference  to  the  life  of  Jesus  that  does  not 
occur  as  frequently  as  might  be  expected.      It  finds  general  statement 
in   such  passages  as  I  Cor.  1  1  :  I  .      What  use  is  made  of  the   life   of 
Jesus  in  I  Pet.  2  :  18-23  anc^  4  :  !  -?     Does  Rom.  15:3  refer  to  the 
spirit  of  Jesus'  life,  or  to  that  manifested  in  His  death  ?     What  is  the 
particular  in   which   imitation   is  urged   here  ?     The  entire  career  of 
Jesus,  stretching  from  eternity  to  eternity,  is  viewed  in  Phil.  2  :  5ff., 
but   the   earthly  life  is  particularly  prominent.      What  is  the  particular 
here  in  which  imitation  is  urged  ? 

3.  It   was  not  simply  this  or  that  personal  characteristic  that  pro- 
duced the  apostolic  devotion.      It  was  their  combination  in  perfection 
and  proportion  that  led  to  the  worship  of  His  personality  as  that  of  God. 
They  could  say  of  Him,  ««  We  beheld  His  glory,  glory  as  of  the  only 
begotten  from  the  Father."      (John  I  :  14.) 

4.  Read  again  I  Pet.  2  :  21,  23.      "  When  He  suffered,  threatened 
not;  but   committed  Himself  to  Him  that  judgeth  righteously."      It 
was  His   sense   of  the  Father  as  a  real  presence  to  whom  He  might 
then  and  there  "commit  Himself"  that  enabled  Him  to  maintain  per- 
fect poise  of  heart,  as  well  as  of  manner,  before  the  angry  and  preju- 
diced judges  all  through  the  night  of  His  trial.      Perhaps    Peter   was 
thinking  of  the  sad  contrast  presented  by  his  own  conduct  through  the 
lack  of  this  sense  when  he  was  threatened  and  reviled  on  that  same 
night  ! 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 

STUDY  X. — Cjje  3tpofitoltt  Conception  of  tlje  life  of  JJefitt0 
SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

Review  the  work  of  the  week  to-day  and  make  its  results  definite. 
Spread  out  before  you  in  written  form,  where  you  can  see  them  all  at  a 
glance,  the  characteristics  of  Jesus'  earthly  life  that  -most  deeply  im- 
pressed the  apostles,  and  the  significance  to  their  minds  of  the  fact  that 
He  had  appeared  on  earth  and  lived  among  men  for  a  generation. 

**  This  is  the  earth  he  walked  on  ;  not  alone 
That  Asian  country  keeps  the  sacred  stain  j 
Ah,  not  alone  the  far  Judaean  plain, 
Mountain  and  river  !     Lo,  the  sun  that  shone 

On  him,  shines  now  on  us  5  when  the  day  is  gone 
The  moon  of  Galilee  comes  forth  again 
And  lights  our  path  as  his  ;  an  endless  chain 
Of  years  and  sorrows  makes  the  round  world  one. 

The  air  we  breathe,  he  breathed — the  very  air 
That  took  the  mold  and  music  of  his  high 
And  godlike  speech.      Since  then  shall  mortal  dare 

With  base  thought  front  the  ever-sacred  sky — 
Soil  with  foul  deed  the  ground  whereon  he  laid 
In  holy  death  his  pale,  immortal  head  !  " 

Richard  Watson  Gilder,  Holy  Land. 


rco^s 

THE  \ 

UNIVERSITY  I 

OF        y 

CAL!FO«^^ 


75 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XI. — C&e  8pofitoltc  Conception  of  t|)e  KeatttrecteU 

FIRST    DAY  :    THE    APOSTOLIC    BELIEF    IN    THE  FACT  OF 
THE  RESURRECTION 

1 .  It  might  seem  natural  that  a  study  of  the  apostolic  conception  of 
the  life  of  Jesus   should   be   followed  by  an  inquiry  into    the  apostolic 
conception  of  the  significance  of  His  death,  but  the  exhilarating  thought 
of  His  resurrection  seems  first  to  have  engaged  the  attention  of  the  apos- 
tles, and  their  realization  of  the  deep  significance  of  His  death  came 
later  after  mature  reflection. 

2.  The  earliest  testimony  to  the  fact  of  the  resurrection  is  found  in 
the  letters  of  Paul.      Before    the  Gospels  or  the  Acts  had  taken  their 
present  literary  form,   this  early  Pauline  testimony  to  the  resurrection 
was   in   existence.      The   first    letter   to   the   Corinthian   church    was 
written  between  twenty  and    thirty    years  after   the   death  of  Jesus. 
Think   of  some   event  which  occurred  twenty-five  years  ago,  in  order 
to   realize   how  short  a  time    elapsed  between  the  resurrection  and  the 
writing  of  this   letter.      Now    read   very  carefully  I   Cor.     15  :  1-8. 
Hundreds  of  witnesses  of  the    resurrection   were  still  living  (v.  6). 
Note  that  this  passage  refers  to  a  time  earlier  than  the  date  of  the  letter, 
when  Paul  had  preached  the  resurrection  to  them   (v.   i),  and  that  it 
was  then  a  part  of  the  generally  current  gospel.      Also  at  a  still  earlier 
time  than  this    Paul  had  himself  "  received  "  it  (v.  3).      This  testi- 
mony, then,  in  a   thoroughly  authenticated  document,   practically  un- 
questioned in  the  history  of  New  Testament  criticism,  reaches  back  to 
within  a  very  few  years  of  the  resurrection  itself,  possibly  to  the  very 
year  of  the  resurrection,  if,  as  is  now  maintained  by  some,  Paul's  con- 
version occurred  in  the  year  of  the  resurrection.      Notice  also  the  testi- 
mony to  the  resurrection  in  I  Thess.  4:14. 

3 .  In  addition  to  these  specific  and  impressive  references  to  the  resur- 
rection of  Jesus,  there  is  the  fact  that  all  the  apostolic  writers  are  full  of 
exultant  references  to  Him  as  a  living  personality.      Something  like  a 
resurrection  would  be  necessary  to  account  for  the  general  tone  of  this 
literature  even  if  the  resurrection  were  not  specifically  mentioned. 

4.  Now  read  rapidly  the  later  and  more  detailed  narrative  of  the 
resurrection  contained  in  the  Gospels,  particularly  the  account  in  Luke 
24  and  Acts  I  :  i-n  ;  also  Matt.  28  :  16-20,  imagining  yourself  as 
you  read  Luke  24,  to   be  one  of  the   two  with  whom    He  walked  to 
Emmaus. 

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Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XI.— ®fo  &poatoUc  Conception  of  t&e  KefimrocteU  Christ 
SECOND  DAY  :  THE  APOSTOLIC  IDEA  REGARDING  THE  PLACE 

WHERE    THE    RESURRECTED    CHRIST    IS 

1 .  Jesus  was  to  the  apostles  the  same  person  that  they  had  previously 
known,  but  the  resurrection  did  not  simply  put  Him  back  where  He 
had  been  before  death.     Jesus'   resurrection  was  different    from    the 
experience  that  made  Lazarus  once  more  a  familiar  figure  on  the  Beth- 
any streets.      The  personality  of  Jesus  passed  into  a  higher  form  of  life, 
with  new  powers  of  self-manifestation.      Note  the  new  powers  and 
perfect  responsiveness  of  His  body  to  spirit  as  seen  in  Luke  24  :  16-36 ; 
Acts  1:9;  9  :  3-5. 

2.  The  series   of  post-resurrection   appearances  which   thoroughly 
identified  Him  as  the  Jesus  they  had   known  before  His  death  was 
terminated  by  His  disappearance  in  a  cloud.     Something  said  to  them  at 
that  time  seems  to  have  produced  a  conviction  that   these  appearances 
would  not  be  indefinitely  continued,  and  that  there  would  be  no  further 
appearance  until    He   should   come  in  judgment.      The   question  is, 
Where  did  they  conceive  Him  to  be  after  this  final  disappearance  ?    In 
order  to  answer  this  question  read  first  the  representation  made  by 
Peter  in  the  early  discourses  in  Acts,  2  :  24-36  ;   3:18-21;   5  :  30, 
31.      What  is  meant  by   "exalted,"    and   "at   (margin)    His  right 
hand  ' '  ?     This  language  is  more  or  less  figurative.     What  is  its  under- 
lying thought  ?     Note  that  it  does  not  imply  great  distance  or  inaccessi- 
bility, 3  :  16  ;  4  :  10,  30  ;   7  :  55-60.     Jesus  is  present  as  a  personal 
object  of  faith,  and  deeply  interested  in  His  friends.      See  also  Peter's 
representation  in  I  Pet.  I  :  21  ;   3  :  22. 

3.  What  is  the  Pauline  conception  as   found  in  Eph.  I  :  19-23  ; 
Phil.    2:8-11;  Col.  3:1-4;  I  Thess.  I  :  10? 

4.  See  also  the  conception  of  the  author  of  Hebrews,   I  :  1—  4  ; 

4  :  14-16  ;    12  :  I,  2,  22-24. 

5.  The  conception  of  the  Apocalypse  is  found  in  Rev.   3:21; 

5  :  6-14.      Current  religious  phraseology,  particularly  that   which  is 
figurative,  slips  easily  from  our  lips  and  we  are  readily  satisfied  with  it. 
Endeavor  to  break  through  the  coating  of  words  that  so  easily  crusts 
over  the  thought.     Is  it  possible  to  tell  where  the  apostles,  as  indicated 
in  the  passages  cited  above,  thought  that  Jesus  really  was  ?     When  you 
think  of  Him  where  do  you  conceive  Him   to  be  ?     What  has  become 
of  Him  since  He  disappeared  from  the  earth  ? 

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Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XI.  —  (£&e  Slpostolit  Conception  of  t[je  Kefittrtectcti  Christ 

THIRD  DAY  :  THE  APOSTOLIC  IDEA  REGARDING  THE  PLACE 
WHERE  THE  RESURRECTED  CHRIST  IS  (CONCLUDED) 

1.  Another  class  of  passages  relating  to  the  whereabouts  of  the  res- 
urrected Jesus  needs  to  be  considered  in   close  connection  with  those 
studied  yesterday.      They  are  found  chiefly  in  Paul  and  John. 

2.  State  the  view  as  it  is  expressed   in  Rom.  8  :  10  ;   Gal.  2  :  20  ; 

4  :  19  ;  Eph.  3:17;  Col.  I  :  27.     The  same  thought  is  implied  in 
die  characteristic   Pauline   phrase    "in   Christ,''    or   some  one  of  its 
equivalents,  which  occurs  scores  of  times  and  upon  almost  every  page. 
See  Gal.  2:4;  Eph.  I  :  1-13  ;  2  :6-io;  Phil.  I  :  I,  26.     Another 
expression  of  the  same  conception  is  found  in  Paul's  representation  that 
the  church  is  Christ's  "body,"   the  agency  through  which  His  invisi- 
ble personality  objectifies  itself  and  makes  itself  effective  in  the  life  of 
the  world.      Read  Rom.   12  :  4,  5  ;  I  Cor.  12  :  27  ;  Eph.  I  :  23  ; 
\  :  12  ;   5  :  30  ;   Col.  I  :  18-24. 

3.  Read  the  following  references  and   ascertain  what  John's  favorite 
words  for  the  expression  of  this  thought  are,  and   to  what  extent  they 
ire  like  those  of  Paul,   I  John   1:3;   2  :  4,  5,  24,  28  ;   3:6,  24  ; 

5  :  12,  20. 

4.  This  conception,  and  the  one  considered  yesterday  as  well,  may 
be   traced  to   the  teaching  of  Jesus   Himself.      See   Matt.    16  :  27  ; 
e8  :  20  ;  John   14:23;    15:4;    16:28. 

"  The  Lord  is  risen  indeed, 

He  is  here  for  your  love,  for  your  need- 
Not  in  the  grave,  nor  the  sky, 
But  here  where  men  live  and  die  ; 
And  true  the  word  that  was  said  : 
*  Why  seek  ye  the  living  among  the  dead  ?  * 

"  Wherever  are  tears  and  sighs, 
Wherever  are  children's  eyes, 
Where  man  calls  man  his  brother, 
And  loves  as  himself  another, 
Christ  lives  !     The  angels  said  : 
'Why  seek  ye  the  living  among  the  dead  ?  *  ' 

Richard  Watson  Gilder,  Easter. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  "Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XI. — ®J>e  Slpofitoltc  Conception  of  t&e  EeeurrecteU  C&tist 

FOURTH  DAY:  THE  APOSTOLIC   CONCEPTION  OF  JESUS  AS 
LORD  OF  AJ.L 

1.  The  general  Lordship  of  Jesus  seems  to  have  been  at  once  recog- 
nized as  involved  in  His  exaltation  as   Messiah  to   God's  right  hand. 
Examine  Acts   2  :  36;    3  :  22,   23  ;    5:31;    10  :  36.      The  actual 
recognition    of  His    Lordship    as    a   personal    matter    constituted  the 
"  belief"  in  Him  that  was  urged  from  the  first  as  the  beginning  of  the 
Christian  life.      This  becomes  most  strikingly  evident  in  two  passages 
from   Paul,   which  may  be   cited  here  in  anticipation,   Rom.    10:9 
(R.V.)  and  I  Cor.  12:3.     "Jesus  Anathema"  and  "Jesus  Lord" 
were  probably  the  regular  formulas  for  renouncing  and  confessing  the 
Christian  faith.      It  was  the  personal  acceptance  of  Jesus  as   "Lord," 
that  is,  as  the  one  whose  right  it  is  absolutely  to  control  every  life  for 
its  good,  which  constituted  one  a  Christian.      This  emphasis  of  the 
Lordship  of  Jesus  appears,  not  only  in  the  discourses  of  Peter  reported 
in  Acts,  but  also  in  I  Peter  3:15;  4:11.      He  is  said  to  be  Lord 
not  only  of  men,  but  of  whom  besides  ?     I  Peter  3  :  22. 

2.  In   Paul,  Jesus  appears   also  as   Lord  of  all.      Examine   Rom. 
9:5;    10  :  12,  and  especially  Eph.  I  19,  10,  20-23,  where   differ- 
ent classes  of  angels,  who  seem  to  be  mentioned  by  the  titles  currently 
applied  to  them  by  some  in  the  Asian  churches,  are   said  to  be  in  sub- 
jection to  Jesus   Christ.      Some  seem  to  have  been  inclined  to  classify 
Jesus  Christ  among  these  angels,  a  classification  against  which  Paul  vig- 
orously protests  in  the  letters  to  the  Colossians  and  Ephesians.      See 
Col.  2  :  8-10,  1 8,  19.      Read  also  Phil.  2  19-11. 

3.  In  Hebrews  there  is  this  same  insistence  that  He  is  Lord  even  of 
the  angels.      Read   1:4-8,    13,  14;  also  note  one  clause  in   1:2. 
In  John   the  representation  of  Jesus'   Lordship  is  found,  among  other 
places,  in  Rev.  I  :  5  ;   5  :  8,  1 1-13. 

5.  The  form  of  address  appropriate  to  the  "Lord  of  all"  is 
prayer,  and  this  the  apostles  offered  to  Jesus.  They  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  look  to  Him  in  emergencies  during  His  earthly  association 
with  them,  and  their  earliest  prayers  must  have  been  a  natural  continu- 
ance of  this  practice,  although  His  exaltation  to  God's  right  hand 
would  naturally  produce  a  new  sense  of  the  possibilities  of  prayer,  and 
of  the  reverence  with  which  He  ought  to  be  approached.  For 
instances  of  such  prayerful  intercourse  with  the  resurrected  Christ  see 
Acts  7  :  59;  I  Cor.  1:2;  II  Cor.  12  :  8,  9. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XI. — Cfje  &po0tolic  Conception  of  tfce  Hefimmctefc  Christ 

FIFTH  DAY  :    THE  APOSTOLIC  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  RELA- 
TION OF  THE  RESURRECTED  CHRIST  TO  GOD 

1 .  The  recognition  of  Jesus  as  ' '  Lord  of  all ' '  involved  an  opinion 
regarding  His  relation  to  God.     This  relationship  is  nowhere  definitely 
discussed  in  extant  apostolic  literature,  and  the  thought  of  the  apostles 
must  consequently  be  gathered  from  incidental  allusions  and  habits  of 
speech. 

2.  Notice  first  the  way  in  which  the  names  of  God  the  Father  and 
of  Jesus  Christ  are  associated.      Examine  each  of  the  following  pas- 
sages, and  see  whether  they  afford  any  material  for  answers  to  these 
questions  :      What  have  God  the  Father  and  Jesus  Christ  in  common  ? 
What  do  they  do  together  ?     Is  either  subordinate  to  the  other  ?    What 
is   the  relation   that   exists   between  them  ?     Look  up  enough  of  the 
following  references,  taken  from  the  different  types  of  apostolic  teach- 
ing, to  see  their  general  character  :  I  Peter  I  :  1 ,  2  ;  II  Peter  I  :  1 ,  2  ; 
Rom.   1:7;!  Cor.  I  :  3  ;   6  :  1 1  ;   II  Cor.  1:2;    13:14;    Gal. 
1:3;   Eph.  1:2;  Heb.  13  :  20,  21  ;  II  John  3,  and  elsewhere. 

3.  The  Greek  word  translated    "  Lord,"  like  the  German  word 
<«  Herr,"  is  applicable,  as  a  term  of  respect,  to  both  men  and  God. 
This  word  is  used  of  Jesus  in  the  New  Testament  just  as  it  is  applied 
to  Jehovah  in    the   Old  Testament,  and  just   as  the  New  Testament 
writers  themselves  apply  it  to  Jehovah.      Cf.  Acts  9:1,  15,  17  with 
2  :  39,  47.     Cf.  I  Cor.  2  :  8  ;  4  :  4,  5  with  2:16.     Examine  Heb. 
i  :  8-12  and  ascertain  to  whom  the  language  is  applied  there,  and  to 
whom  applied  in  its  original  context,  Ps.  45  :  6,  7  ;    102  :  25-27. 

4.  Note  now  more  especially  the  relationship  expressed  in  many 
places,   of  which  the  following  may  serve  as  illustrations  :   Rom.   i  5  : 
6  ;  I  Cor.  I  19;  II  Cor.   11:31;    Eph.  1:3;!  Peter  1:3;  and 
also    Rom.    1:4,   9 ;    Heb.    1:2;    John   1:14;    I    John   5:5; 
II  John  3. 


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Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  'Jesus  and  Hts  Apostles 

STUDY  XI. — C&e  gpofitoltc  Conception  of  t&e  Keatirrecteti  Christ 

SIXTH  DAY  :  THE  APOSTOLIC  CONCEPTION  OF  THE    RELA- 
TION OF  THE  RESURRECTED  CHRIST  TO  GOD  (CONCLUDED) 

1 .  The  most  distinct  and  fundamental  expression  of  the  relation  of 
Jesus  Christ  to  God  the  Father  is  found  in  Paul,  Hebrews,  and  John, 
though  in  none  is  there  any  attempt  at  such  metaphysical  statements  as 
were  called  for  later,  and  as  appear  in  the  various  creeds  of  the  Church. 

2.  God  is  represented  by  Paul  as  doing  things  in  some  immediate 
way  through  Jesus  Christ,  or,  more  profoundly  still,  as  making  some 
immediate  and  complete  manifestation  of  Himself  through  the  personality 
of  Jesus   Christ.      What  manifestation  of  God  is  said  to  be  made  in 
Rom.  8  :  38,   39?     In  a  certain  sense,   God's  love  expresses  itself 
through  the  life  of  the  disciple,  but  Jesus  Christ  is  one  in  whom  the  love 
of  God  reaches,  not  the  few  who  can  be  touched  by  the  limited  influ- 
ence of  one  ordinary  human  being,  but  everybody  ;  not  for  a  little  while, 
and  under  certain  circumstances,  and  in  an  imperfect  degree,  but  always, 
and  everywhere,  and  perfectly.     Jesus  Christ  is  capable  of  expressing 
all  that  the  heart  of  the  Father  can  feel.     See  also  Eph.  3  :  18,  19. 

Paul  thinks  of  God  as  having  great  reserves  of  kindness,  far  surpass- 
ing anything  yet  experienced  by  us,  which  will  be  drawn  upon  in  the 
ages  to  come.  Note  in  Eph.  2  :  7  through  what  personality  God  is 
planning  to  show  this  kindness. 

The  strongest  Pauline  expression  of  intimate  relationship  between 
"  God  the  Father"  and  His  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  is  found  in  the  first 
clause  of  Col.  1:15.  Read  it  carefully,  with  its  context,  which  will  be 
considered  later.  The  Greek  word  translated  "image"  denotes,  not 
an  accidental  similarity,  but  such  a  connection  between  the  two  as  is 
implied  by  the  word  representation,  or  manifestation.  The  same  ex- 
pression is  found  also  in  II  Cor.  4  :  4,  where  it  is  coupled  with  a 
beautiful  expression  (4  :  6),  perhaps  suggested  by  Paul's  experience 
near  Damascus.  See  also  the  strong  expression  in  Col.  2  :  9. 

3.  Language  of  equal  strength  appears  in  Hebrews.     Read  carefully 
Heb.  I  :  2,  3.      What  four  expressions  here  describe  the  relationship? 

4.  We  have  already  seen  that  John  regards  the  earthly  life  of  Jesus 
as  a  manifestation  of  the  Father  (John  I  114,  18).      This  relationship 
he   doubtless   thought   of  as   persisting  in  the  case  of  the  resurrected 
Christ.      The  idea  of  inseparableness,  however,  is  the  one  that  is  the 
most  conspicuous  in  the  statement  made  in  I  John.     Read  carefully  I  : 
3  ;   2  :  23,  24  ;  and  4:15  compared  with  5:12. 

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Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XI.  —  (Ejje  Apostolic  Conception  of  t&e  Eeaurmteto 
SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

Review  the  work  of  the  week,  and  state,  as  definitely  as  the  facts 
enable  you  to  do,  where  the  apostles  thought  their  invisible  Friend  to 
be  ;  what  they  conceived  His  position  and  influence  in  the  universe  to 
be  ;  and  what  they  conceived  His  relation  to  God  to  be.  In  doing 
this  put  yourself,  as  far  as  you  can,  in  the  place  of  an  apostle,  living 
for  the  time  being  in  an  apostle's  world  of  ideas  and  sensations,  with 
an  apostle's  remembrance  of  past  fellowship  with  Jesus,  an  apostle's 
present  experience  of  His  presence,  and  an  apostle's  inspiring  outlook. 
Bear  constantly  in  mind  that  all  we  find  in  the  apostolic  literature  is  the 
expression  of  a  very  real  experience  ;  that  these  authors  are  real  men, 
reporting  their  own  fundamental  convictions  and  experience.  What 
statements  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus  would  furnish  ground  for  these  apos- 
tolic conceptions  ? 

*'  Lead  me,  yea  lead  me  deeper  into  life, 

This  suffering,  human  life  wherein  thou  liv*6t 
And  breathest  still,  and  hold'st  thy  way  divine. 
'Tis  here,  O  pitying  Christ,  where  thee  I  seek, 
Here  where  the  strife  is  fiercest  ;  where  the  sun 
Beats  down  upon  the  highway  thronged  with  men, 
And  in  the  raging  mart.     Oh  !  deeper  lead 
My  soul  into  the  living  world  of  souls 
Where  thou  dost  move. 

"  But  lead  me,  Man  Divine, 
Where'er  thou  will'st,  only  that  I  may  find 
At  the  long  journey's  end  thy  image  there, 
And  grow  more  like  to  it.      For  art  not  thou 
The  human  shadow  of  the  infinite  Love 
That  made  and  fills  the  endless  universe  ! 
The  very  Word  of  Him,  the  unseen,  unknown 
Eternal  Good  that  rules  the  summer  flower 
And  all  the  worlds  that  people  starry  space  !  " 

Richard  Watson  Gilder,  Credo. 


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STUDY  XII.— (£6*  &po0tolu  Conception  of  tfce  HeisttrrerteDi  C&tiat 

(  Continued  ) 

FIRST  DAY:  THE  APOSTOLIC  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  RESUR- 
RECTED CHRIST  AS  SAVIOUR  AND  JUDGE  TO  COME 

1 .  The  apostles  had  known  Jesus  to  be  a  person  with  a  strenuous 
sense  of  purpose,  who  lived  a  busy,  though  peaceful  and   unhasting 
life.      "We  must  work  the  works  of  him  that  sent  me,  while  it  is 
day  "  (John  9:4),  was  an  utterance  characteristic  of  His  spirit.     The 
apostles  must  have  felt  that  this  one,  so  purposeful  and  with  such  vast 
reserves  of  power  for  the  execution  of  His  purposes,  would  not  now  re- 
main inactive.      The  question  for  consideration  is,  What  did  they  con- 
ceive Him  to  be  doing,  or  getting  ready  to  do  ? 

2.  His  dominant  interest,  before  His  death,  had  been  His  peculiar 
conception  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.      The  apostles  soon  discovered 
that  this  was  still  the  uppermost  thought  in  His  mind  after  the  resurrec- 
tion  (Acts   i  :  3).      Their  first  thought  of  Him,  therefore,   in  His 
heavenly  career  was  that  He  was  one  bent  upon  establishing  the  King- 
dom of  God  as  He  had  conceived  it.     This  involved  doing  two  things, 
saving  and  judging.      He  would   soon  return  to  judge  the  world,  and 
introduce  the  glorious  and  triumphant  phase  of  His  already  developing 
Kingdom  ;  but,  in  the  meantime,  He  was  saving  men  from  such  con- 
duct as  would  necessarily  be   reprobated  in  a  judgment  conducted  in 
accordance  with   His  standards  of  conduct.      Trace  this  great  concep- 
tion in  Peter's  early  preaching  as  recorded  in  Acts  2  :  19-21,  37-40  ; 
3  :  19-23  ;  4:12;   5:31;    10:  42,  43.      See  also  in  Acts   Paul's 
similar  representation  that  Jesus  is  Saviour  and  future  Judge,  Acts    I  3  : 
38-41  ;    17  :  30,  31.      Tracing  the  conception  further  in   the  thought 
of  Peter,  see  how  it  appears  in  I   Peter   1:7,    13;  4:13,  where 
"  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ  "  refers  to  His  coming  in  judgment. 

3.  Note  also  the  constant  recurrence  of  this  conception  in   Paul, 
particularly  in  his  two  earliest  letters,   those  to  the  Thessalonians,  I 
Thess.    i  19,  10  ;   2  :  19,  20  ;   3:13;  and  4  :  13-5  :  n,  with  its 
presentation  of  the  comforting   (4  :  13-18)  and  warning   (5  :  i-n) 
aspects  of  the  situation.      When  the  Christians  in  Thessalonica  were  in 
great  distress  because  of  persecution,  note  the  conception  of  Christ  that 
Paul  presented  to  them  in  II  Thess.  I  :  3-10.      This  coming  in  imme- 
diate judgment  he  seemed  to  think  might  occur  soon,  although  not  until 
certain  things,  that  had  not  occurred  at  the  time  of  writing,  should  happen. 
These  events  are  alluded  to  in  the  obscure  (to  us,  but  not  to  the  Thessa- 
lonians, v.  5)  second  chapter  of  II  Thess.      Read  II  Thess.  2  :  1-12. 

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STUDY  XII.— ®fy  9tpo0tolic  Conception  of  t&e  Keattrtectefc  C&riat 

(  Continued} 

SECOND  DAY  :    THE  APOSTOLIC  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  RES- 
URRECTED CHRIST  AS  SAVIOUR  AND  JUDGE  TO  COME 
(CONCLUDED) 

1 .  Trace  still  further  in  Paul  this  picture  of  the  resurrected  Christ 
as  Saviour  and  Judge  to  come,  that  filled  the  hearts  of  the  apostles  with 
unfailing  hope  and  zeal.      It  is  an  ever-present  thought,  liable  to  crop 
out  incidentally  in  the  beginnings  and  ends  of  letters,  as  I  Cor.  1:7, 
8  ;    1 6  :  22  (margin).     It  appears  as  a  practical  motive  for  every-day 
righteousness,  II  Cor.   5:9,  10  ;  and  for  honesty  in  the  heart,  Rom. 
2  :  1 6.      See  also   Rom.  13  :  11-13  5  Ph^-  *  :  6-10.     The  most  in- 
spiring hopes  of  Paul's  great  soul  centered  in  this  event  and  its  conse- 
quences, Phil.  3  :  13,  14,  20,  21  ;   Col.  3  :  1-4;  Titus  2  :  11-13. 

The  same    conception   appears    in  Heb.    9  :  28  ;  and  in    I  John 
2  :  28  ;   3:2;  Rev.  1:7;  and  elsewhere. 

2.  It  remains  to  see  whether  any  more  specific  answer  can  be  given 
to  the  question,  What  did  the  Apostles  consider  that  Jesus,  the  Saviour 
and  Judge  to  come,  was  doing  in  order  to  save  men  ?     How  was  He 
spending  His  time  in   the  interval  before  the  coming  ?     Within  ten 
days  after  His  disappearance  He  gave  His  apostles  evidence  that  His 
sympathetic  eye  was  upon  them  in  their  new  career.      Compare  Acts 
1:4,5  witn   2  :  3  3  •      This   apostolic  sense  of  co-operating  with  an 
all-powerful,  though  invisible,  personality  is  constantly  evident  in  the 
book  of  Acts  ;  also  in  the  striking  apostolic  picture  presented  by  the 
writer  of  Mark  16  :  19,  20.      More  specifically,  He  is  represented  as 
spending  His  time  in  developing  the  characters  of  His  disciples.      Per- 
sonal association  with  His  disciples  engages  His  attention.      Read  the 
following  statements,  asking  in  the  case  of  each,  what  output  of  per- 
sonal energy  on  the  part  of  Jesus,  Paul  has  in  mind  :   Phil.  I  :  6  ;  4  : 
13  ;  II  Cor.  12  :  8,  9;  Gal.  2  :  20  ;  perhaps  also  Eph.  2  :  10. 

3.  The  reception  of,  and  association  with,  the  spirits  of  dead  believers 
is  also  represented  as  constituting  a  part  of  the  occupation  of  Jesus. 
What  actually  happened  when   Jesus     "received    Stephen's  spirit" 
(Acts  7  :  59)  ?     See  also  Paul's  vivid  sense  of  this  in  II  Cor.  5:8; 
Phil,  i  :  23  ;  I  Thess.  4:17. 

4.  Jesus  is   also  represented  as  superintending  the  general  extension 
of  His  Kingdom  into  new   territory  on  the  large  scale  of  the  world, 
Acts  1 6  :  6-10,  especially  v.  7. 

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STUDY  XII.— Cjje  &pofitoltc  Conception  of  t&e  Kefiutmtefc  Cfcrifit 

(  Continued) 

THIRD  DAY  :    THE  APOSTOLIC   CONCEPTION  OF    THE  RES- 
URRECTED CHRIST  AS  PRIESTLY  INTERCESSOR 

1 .  In  endeavoring  to  ascertain  the  apostolic  conception  of  the  occu- 
pation of  the  resurrected   Christ  there  is  one  form  of  activity  to  be 
noted  that  is  mentioned  in  Paul,  Hebrews,  and  John.      Postponing  the 
consideration  of  John  for  a  little,  read  the  following  passages,  and  state 
what  it  is  :   Rom.  8  :  34  ;  Heb.  7:25.      Make  the  best  answer  you 
can  to  the  following  questions  :     What  is  it  to  intercede,  or  to  act  as 
advocate  ?     For  whom  do  these  passages  represent  Him  to   be  inter- 
ceding ?     With  whom  does  He  intercede  ?     Why  does  He  need  to 
intercede  ? 

Doubtless  we  should  understand  the  situation  more  readily,  if  we 
were  trained  in  the  priestly  conception  with  which  the  Jews  were  so 
familiar.  It  runs  through  much  of  the  letter  to  the  Hebrews.  As  the 
Jewish  high-priest  went  into  the  small  inner  room  separated  by  a 
heavy  curtain  from  the  rest  of  the  temple,  to  appear  before  God  in 
behalf  of  his  people,  so  Jesus  is  said  in  Hebrews  to  have  passed  into  the 
heavens  as  a  great  High- Priest.  Read  especially  4:14;  5:10;  6: 
18-20.  The  ideal  high -priest  is  one  who  sees  and  loves  both  men 
and  God.  He  realizes  the  weakness,  the  sin  and  shame  of  men,  and 
sympathizes  with  them.  He  recognizes  also  the  holiness  and  love  of 
God.  He  is  one  by  whom  the  confessed  sin  of  penitent  men  is 
brought  up  before  the  forgiving  love  of  God.  The  resurrected  Christ 
then  is  represented  as  a  Priest  in  whom  penitent  men  and  God  come 
together.  Is  this  because  God  needs  some  one  to  persuade  Him  to  be 
kind  to  penitent  sinners  ?  What  is  the  implication  contained  in  Heb. 
5  :  4-6  and  I  :  1-3  on  this  point  ?  Notice  the  eternal  character  of  the 
relationship  as  described  in  7  :  25. 

2.  Turn  now  to  I  John  2:1.     Note,  in  the  margin,  that  the  word 
here  translated   "Advocate  "   is  the  one  translated   "  Comforter"   in 
John  14  :  1 6.      The  purpose  of  the  advocacy  of  intercession  is  made 
more  evident  here  than  in  Hebrews.     Note  the  specific  case  here  men- 
tioned that  would  call  for  advocacy. 

John  evidently  does  not  consider  this  "advocacy"  as  necessary  to 
mollify  God,  for  he  here  calls  God  a  "  Father,"  and  in  4:7-10  he 
makes  it  evident  that  the  love  of  God  is  the  original  and  fundamental 
fact  in  his  thought,  back  of,  and  energizing,  all  that  Christ  does. 

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This  also  is  the  view  of  Paul,  Rom.  5:8;  8:38,  39;  and  of  the 
author  of  Hebrews,  i  :  1-3.  Christ  does  not  have  to  seek  God  out, 
and  persuade  Him  to  lay  aside  any  reluctance  to  come  forward  and 
deal  mercifully  with  men.  He  is,  rather,  the  one  in  whom  God  has 
come  far  out  to  find  men.  When  Christ  represents  us  before  God, 
He  is  doing  what  the  Father  longs  to  have  done.  It  is  an  advocacy 
before  a  friendly  court. 

3.  We  need  steadily  to  emphasize  in  our  thought  the  present  reality 
that  lies  back  of  these  words  of  the  apostle.  They  are  not  mere  vac- 
uous figures  of  speech.  Jesus  is  actually  spending  time  on  us.  There 
is  a  real  output  of  the  personal  energy  of  Jesus  being  made  for  you  while 
you  read  these  words. 

Paul  felt  daily  interest  in  every  member  of  his  churches.  As  his 
hands  mechanically  wove  the  tent  cloth,  his  thoughts  were  far  away  in 
Antioch,  or  Thessalonica,  or  Ephesus.  " There  is  that,"  he  said, 
*'  which  presseth  upon  me  daily,  anxiety  for  all  the  churches.  Who 
is  weak  and  I  am  not  weak  (in  sympathy  with  him)  ?  Who  is  made 
to  stumble  (into  sin),  and  I  burn  not  (in  sympathetic  imagination 
scorched  by  the  same  fiery  temptation  that  burned  him)  ?"  (II  Cor, 
ii  '.  28,  29.)  We  may  say  that,  in  some  way  of  which  Paul's  ex- 
perience was  but  a  faint  and  troubled  suggestion,  the  great  God-filled 
personality  of  the  resurrected  Christ  is  pressed  upon  daily  by  the  weak- 
ness, perils,  and  sins  of  those  in  many  lands  who  look  to  Him  as  Sav- 
iour and  Friend.  The  first  words  of  His  endless  intercession  were 
spoken  on  the  earth,  and  have  come  down  to  us,  in  order  that  we  may 
form  from  them  a  conception  of  what  is  now  being  offered  for  us. 
Turn  for  a  moment  to  John  1 7  :  20-24. 


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STUDY  XII.  —  C&e  &po0tolu  Conception  of  tlje  KesurrecteU 

(  Continued) 

FOURTH   DAY  :  THE  APOSTOLIC  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  RES- 
URRECTED CHRIST  AS  SUSTAINER  OF  THE  UNIVERSE 

i  .  There  appears  in  the  apostolic  literature  a  somewhat  startling  con- 
ception, different  from  anything  we  have  heretofore  considered.  The 
resurrected  Christ  has  been  seen  to  be  the  Supreme  Person,  under  God 
the  Father,  in  the  moral  universe  ;  but  He  now  appears  as  sustaining 
relations  of  fundamental  importance  to  the  physical  universe.  Read  care- 
fully the  last  clause  of  Col.  1:17,  and  note  the  marginal  rendering  of 
"  consist."  The  first  clause  of  the  verse  describes  an  activity  not  ex- 
ercised in  the  post-resurrection  period  of  His  existence,  and  will  be 
considered  next  week.  The  last  clause  seems  to  say  that  it  is  due  to 
the  personality  of  the  resurrected  Christ  that  the  physical  universe 
remains  in  order,  that  particles  of  matter  cohere,  that  the  force  of 
gravity  remains  steady,  that  the  planets  are  kept  in  their  orbits,  the 
seasons  in  their  succession,  and  the  rivers  running  to  the  sea.  This 
new  thought  is  not  so  remote,  as  it  at  first  seems,  from  the  conception 
of  Christ  as  supreme  in  the  moral  universe.  His  supremacy  in  the 
moral  universe  consists  in  the  fact  that  He  is  the  manifestation  of  God, 
and  it  is  not  unnatural  to  expect  that  He  should  also  be  the  manifesta- 
tion of  God  in  His  relation  to  the  physical  universe. 

Notice  also  the  statement  in  the  end  of  Col.  i  :  1  6  that  all  things 
have  been  created  "unto,"  or  ««  for,"  Him.  Think  of  the  world  in 
its  geological  ages  as  being  prepared  for  the  use  of  Jesus  Christ  and  His 
Kingdom.  Compare  with  this  the  statement  of  Jesus,  that  the  meek 
shall  inherit  the  earth  (Matt.  5  :  5).  Read  also  Eph.  i  :  10. 

This  means  more  than  simply  to  get  a  title  to  the  earth  as  so  much 
real  estate.  In  the  broadening  of  our  ideas  under  the  influence  of 
scientific  discovery,  we  see  that  it  is  the  earth  with  all  its  unfolding  re- 
sources that  is  to  become  the  heritage  of  those  who  accept  the  concep- 
tion of  civilization  advocated  by  Jesus.  All  electrical  inventions,  all 
the  results  of  industrial  enterprises,  all  worthy  creations  in  art  and 
literature,  find  a  place  in  the  great  plan  of  God  that  sums  up  all  things 
in  Christ.  All  infinite  designs  find  their  ultimate  end  in  the  use  Christ 
will  make  of  them  in  blessing  the  humanity  He  redeems. 

2.  Turn  now  to  Hebrews  and  note  the  first  half  of  I  :  3  and  its 
context. 

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STUDY  XII.  —  QT^e  &po0tolic  Conception  of  t(je  Kegurmteto 

{Continued} 

FIFTH    DAY  :    THE    APOSTOLIC    CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIG- 
NIFICANCE OF  THE  RESURRECTION  OF  JESUS 

I  .  We  have  discovered,  in  some  measure  at  least,  the  apostolic  con- 
ception of  the  resurrected  Christ.  We  have  seen  what  sort  of  per- 
son it  was  before  whom  the  apostles  worshipped,  and  from  whom  they 
drew  their  inspiration.  We  need  now,  in  conclusion,  to  ask  definitely 
what  significance  they  saw  in  the  fact  of  the  resurrection  and  exaltation 
of  Jesus. 

2.  The  particular  point   of  significance    naturally    first    recognized 
by   the  apostles  seems  to  have  been  that  found  in  all  the  early  dis- 
courses   recorded    in    Acts.      See  Acts  2  :  23,  24  ;  3:15;  4  :  10  ; 
5:30;    10:40;     13:29,30;     17:31.       This    appears    also    in 
I  Peter  1:21;  and  in  Paul,  Eph.  1:19,  20.     The  resurrection  was 
God's  act.     Jesus  had  stood  unwaveringly  for  a  certain  ideal  of  Mes- 
siahship  ;  for   a   certain   conception   of  the  Kingdom  of  God  and  of 
righteousness  ;  and  ultimately  for  an  unmistakable  emphasis  of  Himself 
as  Messiah.      In  consequence  of  His  steadfast  adherence  to  these  ideals 
He  was  put  to  death.      What   inference  regarding   these  ideals  do  the 
apostles  draw  from  the  fact  of  the  resurrection  ?      See  Rom.  I  :  4  in 
this  connection. 

3.  Closely  related  to   the  above   is  the  use  the  apostles  constantly 
made  of  the  resurrection  in  their  argument  for  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus 
based   on   the   Hebrew   Scriptures.      Under   the   instruction  of  Jesus, 
given  after  His  resurrection,  they  made  a  discovery  of  something  in  the 
exegesis  of  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  that  none  of  the  rabbis  had  found  out. 
Read  Luke  24  :  25-27,  45-47.      The  result  of  this  instruction  is  seen 
in  the  use  they  proceeded  at  once  to  make  of  the  Scriptures  in  the  pre- 
sentation of  their  case.     See  Acts  2  :  24-32.     It  is  seen  in  its  simplest 
form  in  the  report  of  Paul's  argument  made  in  the  Thessalonian  syna- 
gogue.     (Acts  17  :  2,  3.) 


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STUDY  XII. — C&e  &p00t0lic  Coiuepttoa  of  tj)e  EefittrrectcU  C&rist 

(  Continued^ 

SIXTH  DAY  :  THE  APOSTOLIC  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIGNIF- 
ICANCE OF  THE  RESURRECTION  OF  JESUS  (CONCLUDED) 

1.  The  resurrection  of  Jesus  was  not  only  God's   indorsement  of 
Him  and  His  ideas,  and  His  identification  as  the  Messiah  of  prophecy, 
but  it  was  also  a  source  of  profound   encouragement  to  men.      Read 
Rom.  4:25.      What  is  the  connection  here  alluded   to  by   Paul  be- 
tween the  resurrection  of  Jesus  and  God's  declaration  of  the  penitent 
believer's  righteousness  ?      Consider   the  friendly  and  encouraging  atti- 
tude that  Jesus  had  taken  toward  penitent  publicans  and  sinners  during 
His  lifetime,  for  instance,  toward  the  woman  mentioned  in    Luke  7  : 
36-50.      What  significance,  according  to   Paul's  thought,  would   the 
resurrection  of  Jesus  have  for  her,  when  she  first  learned  of  it  ? 

2.  It  is  also  naturally  regarded  by  the  apostles  as  a  demonstration  of 
the  possibility  of  life  after  death.      Read  I  Cor.    15  :  12-18,   noting 
that  the  expression,    "  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,"    would  be  more 
accurately  translated,  a   '«  resurrection  of  dead   persons."      Read  also 
II  Tim.  i  :  9,  10. 

3.  The  resurrection  of  Jesus,  regarded  as  a   pledge  of  the  believer's 
resurrection,  will   be   considered  in  Part  IV,  but  here  attention  may 
be  given  to  Peter's  interesting  allusion  to  the  subject  in  I  Pet.    I  : 
3-5.      Peter's   thought  about  the  resurrection  must  have  been  largely 
influenced  by  his  own  experience  in  connection  with  it.      Remember 
the  remorse  and  despair  occasioned  by  his  denial  of  his  Lord  ( Mark 
14  :  72),   and  consider  whether  there  is   any  hint    here  in    I    Pet. 
i  :  3-5  of  the  effect  produced  upon  him  by   the  resurrection.      Re- 
member also  the  distrust  of  himself,  occasioned  by  his  failure  to  live  up 
to  his  confident  protestation  (Mark  14  :  27-31),  and  consider  whether 
it  is  alluded  to  in  v.  5.      Why  is  it  called  a  "living  hope,"  and  how 
did  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  serve  to  produce  it  ? 

"  In  that  tomb,  the  gloomiest  earth  had  known,  because  the  grave 
of  the  Holiest  known  to  earth,  a  torch  had  been  lighted  that  made 
sable  death  luminous,  and  forced  from  him  his  dread  secret,  translating 
it  into  Resurrection  and  Life.  And  so  there  was  set  under  the  weak 
but  wishful  feet  of  hope,  no  instinct  of  the  human  heart,  or  inference 
of  the  human  reason,  but  the  strong  rock  of  historical  yet  eternal  fact — 
the  Person  of  the  risen  Christ." 

Fairbairn,  Studies  in  the  Life,  of  Christ. 
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STUDY  XII.— ®J)e  Slpoatolu  Conception  of  tjje  KefittrmteU  C&rurt 

(  Concluded) 

SEVENTH  DAY  :  SUMMARY  OF  THE  LAST  Two  WEEKS 

Review  the  work  of  the  past  week,  and  then  write  out  a  few  state- 
ments that  shall  express  the  conclusions  you  have  reached  as  a  result  of 
the  last  two  weeks  of  study.  These  conclusions  will  perhaps  be  best 
stated  in  reply  to  the  following  questions  :  In  how  large  a  sphere  do  the 
apostles  regard  the  resurrected  Christ  to  be  working  ?  What  power  has 
He  ?  What  is  His  relation  to  God  ?  To  men  ?  What  is  His  domi- 
nant aim,  and  what  is  He  doing  to  accomplish  it  ?  In  what  respects 
is  the  hopefulness  of  humanity  increased  by  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  ? 

There  is  a  remarkable  statement  made  by  Paul  in  I  Cor.  15  :  24- 
28.  It  represents  Jesus  as  the  great  Champion  of  Humanity,  contend- 
ing with  all  Humanity's  foes,  and  gaining  the  victory  over  even  the 
strongest  and  the  deadliest.  The  vision  of  Paul,  the  seer,  penetrates 
to  a  point  where  this  great  Defender  of  Humanity  shall  have  redeemed 
it  from  the  power  of  all  its  enemies  and  brought  it  back  to  the  Father. 
Then,  when  the  Father  has  His  own  again  and  the  Redeemer's  work 
is  done,  the  Redeemer  and  those  whom  He  has  redeemed  will  wait 
before  the  Father  for  some  new  task  worthy  of  themselves  and  of  the 
inexhaustible  resources  of  God.  But  beyond  this  far  point  no  prophet's 
earthly  vision  has  penetrated. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XIII. — Clje  &po0toltc  Conception  of  t&e  (Eternal 

FIRST  DAY  :  THE  APOSTLE  PETER'S  CONCEPTION  OF  CHRIST 
AS  PRE-EXISTENT 

1.  We  saw  in  the  last  study  that  the   apostles  thought  of  their  Lord 
as  living  a  life  that  would  never  end.      He  was  alive  for  evermore. 
There  is  also  evidence,  to  which   we  now  turn,  that  they  thought  of 
Him  as  having  existed  before  He  appeared  on  the  earth  as  Jesus,  Son 
of  Nazarene   Mary.      When,   or   by   what  process  of  thought,   they 
reached  this  conception  may  more   properly  be  considered  after  the 
conception  itself  has  been  examined. 

2.  In  the  early  apostolic  discourses  recorded  in  Acts  there  are  no 
explicit  allusions  to  the  pre-existence.      As   has  been  seen,  they  are 
largely  concerned  with  the  fact  of  the   death  and  resurrection  of  Jesus, 
and  the  salvation  that  is  to  be  had  through  penitent  faith  in  Him.     The 
apostles,  at  first,  were  so  absorbed  in  the  thought  of  a  glorious  salvation 
to  come  that  their  natural  attitude  was  facing  the  future,  rather  than 
looking  into  the  remote  past. 

3.  In  I  Peter  there  are  possible  allusions  to  the  pre-existence  of  the 
Christ.      It  is  necessary  to  discriminate  between  allusions  to  His  pre- 
existence  and  to  God's  foreknowledge  of  His  earthly  existence.      The 
first  reference  is  I  Pet.  I  :  n.      Read   the  context,  I  :  3-12.      Does 
the  expression   "  Spirit  of  Christ,"  mean  the   Holy  Spirit,  or  does  it 
designate  the  personality  of  Christ  ?      If  the  latter,  what  thought  does 
it  show  to  have  been  in  the  mind  of  Christ  during  his  pre-existence  ? 
Consider  also  I  :  20,  reading  its  context,  I  :  13-25.      Does  the  word 
"  manifested  "  imply  a  previous  existence  ? 

4.  If  you  find  in  these  references  indications  that  Peter  conceived  of 
Jesus  as  having  existed  before   His   appearance  on  the  earth,  try  to 
imagine  how  such  an  idea  must  have  affected  his   thought  of  the  rela- 
tionship that  he  had  sustained  to  Jesus  during  His  earthly  career.      Did 
it  give  any  new  meaning  to  the  earthly  life  of  Jesus  ? 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XII I. — Clje  ^postoUc  Conception  of  t&e  Eternal  Cjjrist 

SECOND  DAY  :    THE  APOSTLE  PAUL'S  CONCEPTION  OF   THE 
PRE-EXISTENT  CHRIST 

1.  The  authenticity  of  four  of  Paul's  epistles  has  been  practically 
unquestioned   in  all  the  history  of  criticism.      These  four  are  Romans, 
I  Corinthians,  II  Corinthians,  and  Galatians.      We  are  first  to  examine 
these  and  see  whether  they  contain   allusions  to  the  pre-existence  of 
Jesus.      Paul's  epistles  were  generally  written  to  meet  special  emergen- 
cies.     They,   therefore,    emphasize   such   truths   as  are  serviceable  in 
meeting  the  given  emergency,  and   the  scant  allusion  to,  or  complete 
omission  of,  any  truth  not  connected  with  the  emergency  does  not 
warrant  one  in  supposing  that  the  author  does  not  hold  that  truth. 

2.  Read   Rom.  8  :  3  and   its   context,  and   consider    whether  any 
thought  of  pre-existence  is  implied  in  the  word  "  sending."     The  word 
itself  certainly  does  not  necessarily  indicate  it,  as  is  evident  from  John 
1:6.      It  is  fair  to  consider,  however,  whether  the  whole  expression, 
''sending  Him  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  "suggests  the  idea  that  He 
had  previously  existed  in  some  other  likeness  than  that  of  sinful   flesh. 
The  same  question  arises  in  connection  with  Gal.  4  : 4  and  its  con- 
text.     Can  the  expression  "sent  forth"  be  fairly  taken  to  imply  that 
He  was  sent  forth  from  some  place  of  previous  existence  ?     These  ex- 
pressions in  Galatians  and  Romans  need  to  be  interpreted  in  the  light 
of  more  explicit  statements  found  in  the  Corinthian  letters. 

3.  Examine  next  the   two  letters  to  the  Corinthians  for  traces  of 
this   view.      Read  I  Cor.  8  :  6  and  its   context.      What  is  meant  by 
"all  things"  being  "through"  the  Lord  Jesus   Christ,  especially   in 
connection  with  the  statement  that  all  things  are  "  from  "  God  the 
Father  ?     Does  this  read  like  a  common  current  saying  ?     If  so,  it  re- 
flects not  simply  Paul's  own  view,  but  the  view  current  among  the 
Christians  of  the  time.   In  the  Authorized  Version,  I  Cor.  15:47  was 
a  sentence  in  point  here.     But  many  manuscripts  omit  the  words  "  the 
Lord,"  in  which  case  the  reference  may  be  to  the  heavenly  type  of  man 
rather  than  to  Jesus.      II  Cor.  8  :  9  seems  an  unmistakable  assertion  of 
Jesus'  pre-existence,  and  its  "ye  know"  assumes   that   the   pre-exist- 
ence of  Jesus  is  a  truth   commonly  accepted  among   the  Christians  at 
this  early  date.      In  what  did  His  richness  and  poverty  consist  ?  What 
light  does  this  passage  throw  on  the  aims  and  motives  that  prevailed  in 
the  life  of  the  pre-existent  Christ  ? 

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STUDY  XIII. — CJje  &pofitoltc  Conception  of  t&e  Cternal  C&rtet 

THIRD  DAY  :    THE  APOSTLE  PAUL'S  CONCEPTION  OF    THE 
PRE-EXISTENT  CHRIST  (CONTINUED) 

i .  Another  casual,  though  very  explicit  and  beautiful,  allusion  to  the 
pre-existence  of  Jesus  is  found  in  a  letter  written  by  Paul  from  a  Roman 
prison  to  the  Christians  in  Philippi.  Read  at  least  as  much  of  the  con- 
text as  Phil,  i  127-2  :  1 1,  in  order  to  see  the  rare  beauty  of  the  pas- 
sage in  its  setting.  Paul  portrays  here  in  strong,  bold  outline  the 
eternal  career  of  Jesus,  with  the  universe  as  a  background.  The 
career  is  pictured  in  three  stages.  Jesus  appears  first  upon  the  high 
plateau  of  His  pre-existence,  then  in  the  deep  valley  of  His  humilia- 
tion, and  finally  again  on  high,  carrying  with  Him  the  adoration  of  the 
universe.  Read  vv.  6-n  with  this  thought  in  mind,  and  noting  also 
the  four  or  five  steps  down  into  the  depths  of  His  voluntary  humilia- 
tion. Be  sure  to  read  this  passage  in  the  Revised  Version.  What 
dees  the  passage  state  or  imply  ( I )  regarding  the  kind  of  existence 
possessed  by  Christ  Jesus  before  His  appearance  on  earth  ;  (2)  re- 
garding His  relation  to  God  ;  (3)  regarding  His  dominant  aim  and 
motive,  that  is,  What  was  the  "  mind  "  of  Christ  Jesus  that  Paul  de- 
sired to  see  reproduced  in  the  Christians  of  Philippi  ? 

"  He  has  come  !  the  Christ  of  God 
Left  for  us  his  glad  abode  ; 
Stooping  from  his  throne  of  bliss, 
To  this  darksome  wilderness. 
He  has  come  !  the  Prince  of  peace ; 
Come  to  bid  our  sorrows  cease  j 
Come  to  scatter  with  his  light 
All  the  shadows  of  our  night. 

"  He  the  mighty  King  has  come  ! 
Making  this  poor  earth  his  home  ; 
Come  to  bear  our  sin's  sad  load  j 
Son  of  David,  Son  of  God  ! 
He  has  come,  whose  name  of  grace 
Speaks  deliverance  to  our  race  } 
Left  for  us  his  glad  abode  j 
Son  of  Mary,  Son  of  God  !" 

Horatius  Bonar. 


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STUDY  XIII. — (£&e  SlpostoUc  Conception  of  tlje  Eternal 

FOURTH  DAY  :  THE   APOSTLE  PAUL'S  CONCEPTION  OF  THE 
PRE-EXISTENT  CHRIST  (CONCLUDED) 

1 .  A   still  more  explicit,  though  less  beautiful,  statement  regarding 
the   pre-existence  of  Jesus  is  found   in  the  letter  to    the    Colossians. 
There    had    come   to   Colosse   certain     teachers,     professedly    Chris- 
tian, but  fatally    out   of  accord  with  the  fundamental   truths   of  the 
gospel.      They    apparently    believed    in    gradations   of  angels,   called 
"thrones,''  "dominions,"    "principalities,"    "powers,"   etc.,   that 
were  intermediate  between  the  absolute  God  and  created  matter,  and 
by  some  one  of  whom  they  believed  the  defiling  contact  with  matter 
involved  in  creation  to  have   been   experienced.      Somewhere  in   this 
series,  as    a    subordinate    personality,   they    proposed    to    place   Jesus 
Christ.      Against  this  view,  as  well  as  against  some  other  views  held 
by  them,  Paul  entered  vigorous  protest.      Read,  for  instance,  I  :  15- 
20  ;   2  :  8-10,  18,  19.      Here  for  the  first  time  Paul  had  occasion  to 
speak  directly  of  the  pre-existence  of  Jesus,  and  he  does  so  with  great 
force  in  I  :  15-17.      Read  it  carefully.      The  expression,  "first-born 
of  all  creation,"  has  been  much  discussed.    It  is  held  by  some  to  mean 
that  Christ  was  the  first  created  being.      The  grammatical  construction 
does  not  necessitate  this  interpretation,  and  the  interpretation,  "  first- 
born over  all  creation,"  is  grammatically  justifiable  and  seems  neces- 
sitated by  the  context  in  vv.   16,  17.      The  word  "first-born"   in 
this  latter  interpretation  indicates  rank,  as  it  does  when  used  of  David 
in   Ps.  89  :  20,  27,  and  asserts   nothing    regarding    His    classification 
among  created  beings.      In  vv.  16,  17  Paul  explicitly  puts  Him  out- 
side the  class  of  created  existence. 

2.  This  passage  does  not  bring  out  the  moral  characteristics  of  the 
pre-existent  Christ  so  clearly  as  does  the  passage  in  Philippians,  but  it 
throws  new  light  upon  the  character  of  His  activity.      What  does  it 
represent  Him  to  have  been  doing  in  the  ages  before  His  appearance 
upon  the  earth  ?     What  was  His  relation  to  God  ? 


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STUDY  XIII. — C&e  &pofitoUc  Conception  of  t&e  (Eternal 

FIFTH  DAY  :    THE  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  PRE-EXISTENT 
CHRIST  IN  HEBREWS 

1.  Notice  the  clause  in  Heb.  1:1-3  that  describes  the  activity  of 
the  pre-existent  Christ.      Observe  also  that  in  I  :  10-13  words,  used 
in  their  original  context  to  describe  the  creative  activity  of  Jehovah,  are 
here  applied  to  the  "  Son  "  Jesus  Christ.     The  Church  had  evidently 
come  to  think  of  Jesus  Christ  as  an  eternal  manifestation  of  the  Father. 
In  His  earthly  life,  death,  and  resurrection  it  had  been  perfectly  clear 
that  He  presented  Himself  as  a  manifestation  of  the  Father.      As  soon, 
therefore,  as  the  apostles  came  to  regard  Him  as  having  existed  before 
His  earthly  life,  they  naturally  thought  of  Him  as  having  been  always 
the  one  through  whom  God  manifested  Himself.      In  His  earthly  life 
He  had  evidently  been  manifesting  God   as  a  Redeemer.      God  had 
worked   through   Him   to   redeem  men.      The  conviction  was  natural 
that,  when   God  created  the  worlds,  He  did  it  also  through  the  same 
agency,  namely,  through  the  personality  of  His  Son. 

2.  The  author  of  Hebrews  seems  also  to  represent  the  pre-existent 
Christ  as  having  had  connection  with  God's  people  during  the  centuries 
of  their  history  that  passed  before  He  appeared  upon  the  earth.     In  his 
argument  for  the  superiority  of  Christ  to  Moses,  3  :  1-6,  note  the  two 
sentences,  one  of  which  attributes  the  founding  of  the  Jewish  nation, 
or   "  house,"    to  Jehovah,    and   the  other  of  which  attributes   it   to 
Christ. 

"Let  us  remember  the  pregnant  import  of  this  passage  [Col.  i: 
15-17],  in  which  the  Son  is  revealed  to  us  as  Cause,  Head,  and 
Goal  of  the  created  Universe.  How  much  it  has  to  say  to  us  !  For 
one  thing,  it  binds  both  '  worlds,'  the  seen  and  the  unseen,  the  ma- 
terial and  spiritual,  into  one,  under  one  Head.  And  this  is  a  pre- 
cious gain  when  our  hearts  fail  us  on  the  border-line  between  the  two. 
For  another  thing,  it  sanctifies  '  Nature '  to  us,  and  makes  its  im- 
measurable heights  and  depths  at  once  safe  and  radiant  with  the 
Name  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  connects  the  remotest  ason  of  the  past  with 
Him.  It  connects  the  remotest  star  detected  by  the  photographic 
plate  with  Him.  It  bids  us,  when  we  feel  lost  in  the  eternity  ol; 
space  and  time,  fall  back  upon  the  Centre  of  both ;  for  that  Centre  is 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  died  for  us.  In  Him  they  hold  together. 
He  knows  all  about  them  ;  the  mystery  of  space,  the  mystery  of  time, 

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great  to  us,  are  no  mysteries  to  Him.  Looking  on  Him,  and  then  on 
the  beautiful  but  awful  sky  of  stars,  we  can  say  with  the  poet, 

'  Spirit,  nearing  yon  dark  portal  at  the  limit  of  thy  human  state, 
Fear  not  thou  the  hidden  purpose  of  that  Power  which  alone  is  great, 
Nor  the  myriad  world,  His  shadow,  nor  the  silent  Opener  of  the  Gate.' 

With  another,  whose  harp  rung  still  truer  to  the  eternal  things,  we  can 
rejoice  to  think  that 

*  All  things  are  under  One.      One  Spirit,  His 
Who  wore  the  platted  thorns  with  bleeding  brows, 
Rules  universal  Nature.' 

With  His  Name  the  traveller  can  rejoice  in  the  glories  of  mountain, 
forest,  and  flood,  worshipping  not  nature  but  Christ  its  Cause  and 
End ;  Artificer  of  the  landscape,  while  He  is  Saviour  of  the  soul. 
With  that  same  dear  Name  the  explorer  of  physical  secrets  can  conse- 
crate his  laboratory,  remembering  that  Christ  is  the  ultimate  law  of 
compound  and  cohesion,  while  He  is  the  Saviour  of  the  soul. ' ' 

H.  C.  G.  Moule,  Colossian  Studies. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 

STUDY  XIII.— (EJe  &pofitolic  Conception  of  t&e  eternal  Cljrist 

SIXTH  DAY  :    THE    APOSTLE    JOHN'S   CONCEPTION  OF  THE 
PRE-EXISTENT  CHRIST 

1.  The  apostle  John's  clearest  statements  on  this  subject  are  found  in 
the  prologue  to  his  Gospel.      In  this  prologue  there  appears  -one  called 
«'  The    Word,"    or    "Logos."      Read    carefully    I  :  1-18    and  see 
whether  John  regarded    "  The    Word"    as  the  pre-existent  Christ. 
This  prologue  has  many  interesting  features,  but  the  points  upon  which 
to  concentrate  attention  in  this  discussion  are  these  :   What  does  it  rep- 
resent to  have  been  the  relation  of  the  pre-existent  Christ  to  God  ? 
What  did  He    do  ?     What    were  His  dominant   aims  and  motives  ? 
Note  how  suggestive  the  opening  sentences   here  are  of  the  opening 
sentences  in  Genesis,   and    that    the    work    of  creation    attributed   in 
Genesis  to  God  is  here,  as  in  Paul  and   Hebrews,  attributed  to  the 
pre-existent  Christ.      Consider  whether  the  presentation  made  in  this 
prologue  warrants  the  statement  that  John  considered  the  personality 
known  in  human  history  as  Jesus  Christ  to  be,  in  the   various  stages 
of  its  existence,  an  eternal  manifestation  of  God  the  Father.      Is  there 
ground  for  supposing  that  he  thought  of  the  Father  as  having  eternally 
expressed  Himself  through  the  Son  ? 

2.  This  is  not  the  place  for  an  extended  discussion  of  the  origin  of 
the  expression  "The  Word,"  or  "  The  Logos."      It  is  used  here  as 
if  it  were  a  common  term  among  those  for  whom  this  Gospel  was  pre- 
pared.     In  the   Old  Testament  the  expression,  «'  The  word  of  the 
Lord,"  frequently  describes  the  message  of  Jehovah  to  His  prophets. 
In  Is.  55:11  there  is  a  poetic  personification  of  the  Word,  and  per- 
haps a  more  highly  developed  personification  in  the  apocryphal  book, 
the  Wisdom  of  Solomon.     In  the  Talmud  there  is  a  tendency  to  regard 
the  "  Memra  Jahveh,"  or  "  Word  of  Jehovah,"  as  a  real  personality. 
Entirely  separate  from  Hebrew  usage  is  the  occurrence  of  the  expres- 
sion  '«  The   Logos"   in   Greek    philosophy.      These    two  streams   of 
thought,  the  Hebrew  and  the  Greek,  came  together  in  the  thought  and 
literature  of  the  Alexandrian  Jews  of  the  first  century,  and  by  one  of 
them,  the  learned   Philo,  the  term   was  freely  used.      There  is  some 
indication  that  this  Alexandrian  thought  was  influential  in  Asia  Minor. 
If  so,  the  expression  may  have  been  seized  upon  by  the  Christians  as 
an  appropriate  designation  for   the  pre-existent  Christ,  particularly  be- 
cause of  its  Old  Testament  association.      '*  Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ   is 
the   true  Logos,"  they  would  say.       The    expression  occurs  also  in 
I  John  i  :  i,  and  in  Rev.  19  :  13. 

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STUDY  XIII.—  Cfre  &pogtolu  Conception  of  t&e  (Sternal  Christ 

SEVENTH  DAY:  SUMMARY  OF  THE  WEEK 

1.  Gather  up  as  usual  the  main  results  of  the  week's  study.    What  is 
the  evidence  that  the  apostles  thought  of  the  personality,  called  in  his- 
tory Jesus  Christ,  as  having  existed  before  appearing  upon  the  earth  ? 
What  had  been  His  relation  to  God,  and  to  the  universe  ?      What  had 
been  His  personal  character  ? 

2.  It  has  been  noticeable  that  the  apostles  do  not  discuss  the  pro- 
cess by  which  the  pre-existent   Christ  entered  humanity.      The  Johan- 
nine  representation  is  simply  that  He  "  became  flesh,"  and  the  Pauline 
statement  of  this  transition,  represents  Him  as   "  emptying  Himself," 
"  taking  the  form  of  a  servant."      Neither  is  there  any  attempt   made 
to  discuss  metaphysically  the  relationship  between  the  Father  and  the 
pre-existent  Christ.      This  question,  and  others  like  it,  are  legitimate 
and  have  been  much  discussed  in  the  history  of  Christian  thought,  but 
there  is  need  of  careful  discrimination  between  the  statements  of  the 
apostles  themselves  and  the  conclusions  that  are  more  or  less  legitimately 
drawn  from  their  statements. 

3.  It  would  be  interesting  to  try  to  trace  the  intellectual  and  spirit- 
ual  processes  by  which  the   apostles,  and   apparently  the   Church  in 
general,  reached  this   exalted  conception  of  the  pre-existent  Christ. 
The  conception  of  the  resurrected  Christ  as  Lord  of  all  must  have  been 
felt  almost  to  necessitate  a   belief  in   His  pre-existence.      To   suppose 
that  a  man    who  had   been  in  existence  but  a  generation  should  be 
supreme  in  the  universe  may  have  seemed  to  them  an  untenable  position. 
Also,  the  thought  of  Him  as  one  who  was  a  perfect  manifestation  of 
God  must  have  been  felt  to  involve  something  eternal  in   the  manifest- 
ing personality.      Possibly  in  some   circles  pre-existence  was  a  part  of 
the  Jewish   Messianic   conception.      The  most  definite  source  of  the 
idea  seems  to  have  been  certain  statements  of  Jesus  Himself,  preserved 
for  us  in  the  Gospel  of  John.      Perhaps  fully  as  influential  as  these  few 
utterances  was  Jesus'   general   conception  of  Himself,  as  the  apostles 
after  mature  reflection  under  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  came  to 
understand  it. 

4.  The  value  of  a  personal  relationship  consists  in  the  character  of 
the  persons  related.      As  one  comes  into  sympathy  with  the  apostolic 
conception  of  the  personality  of  Jesus,  he  becomes  conscious  of  the  in- 
finite significance  of  a  daily  life  of  deepening  acquaintance  with  Him. 

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STUDY  XIV.  —  &()e  &po0tolic  Conception  of  tje  Significance  of 
t&e  £>eat|)  of 


FIRST  DAY  :  THE  EARLY  CONCEPTION  PRESENTED  IN 

ACTS 

1.  The  consideration  of  the  apostolic  conception  of  the  death  of 
Jesus  has  been  postponed  until  this  time,  because  it  seems  probable  that 
the  apostles  were  not  in  a  position  to  realize  the  significance  of  the  death 
until  they  realized  who  it  was  that  died.      It  is  not  to  be  supposed,  of 
course,  that  they  gave  no  thought  to  the  significance  of  His  death  until 
they  had  attained  the  high  conception  of  His  personality  which  has  been 
revealed  in  the  last  few  studies.      In  the  nature  of  the  case  so  startling 
a   phenomenon   as   the  death  of  the  Messiah  must   have   necessitated 
thought  as  soon  as  it  occurred,  and  the  increasing  realization  of  its  sig- 
nificance must  have  kept  pace  with  their  deepening  sense  of  the  exalted 
character  of  the  Messiah. 

2.  The  discourses  contained  in  the  Acts  present  the  death  of  Jesus 
in  two  aspects  :  as  a  proof  of  the  wickedness  of  His  countrymen,  and 
as  a  fulfilment  of  prophecy.      Read  2  :  23  ;  3  :  13,  14,  18  ;  8  :  32- 
35  ;    13  :  27-29;   17  :  2,  3. 

The  death  of  the  Messianic  claimant  had  seemed  to  His  disciples  to 
be  the  absolute  defeat  of  their  expectations.  But  after  His  resurrection 
He  went  through  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  with  them,  and  showed  them 
a  new  discovery  in  exegesis.  To  their  glad  surprise  they  learned,  what 
the  rabbis  seemed  never  to  have  noticed,  that  the  death  of  the  Messiah 
was  predicted  by  the  prophets.  Read  Luke  24  :  25-27,  44-46.  The 
exhilaration  of  spirit  occasioned  by  this  discovery  seems  to  have  been  so 
great  that  there  was  no  disposition  to  raise  the  reflective  query,  Why 
did  God  plan  to  have  the  Messiah  die  ? 

3.  Possibly  Paul's  first  reported  address  is  meant  by  the  author  of 
Acts  to  exhibit  an  allusion  to  the  thought,  so  characteristic  of  the  Paul- 
ine letters,   of  connection  between  the  death  of  Jesus  and  the  forgive- 
ness of  sin.     Consider  whether  13  :  38  warrants  this  supposition.     Acts 
20  :  28  gives  a  clear  hint  of  the  Pauline  conception  of  the  significance 
of  the  death  ;  but  these  words  were  spoken  many  years  after  the  cruci- 
fixion and  after  the  letters  to  the  Thessalonians,  Galatians,  Corinthians, 
and  Romans  were  written. 


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STUDY  XIV.  —  C&e  Slpofitolic  Conception  of  t&e  Significance  of 
tjje  £)eat|)  of 


SECOND  DAY  :  THE  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
THE  DEATH  OF  JESUS  IN  I  PETER 

i  .  In  I  Peter  there  are  certain  statements  regarding  the  significance 
of  the  death  of  Jesus  that  mark  an  advance  on  the  views  held  by  Peter, 
according  to  the  Acts,  at  an  earlier  period.  It  is  noticeable  that  the 
two  most  complete  statements  in  the  epistle  are  incidental,  being  intro- 
duced to  illustrate  and  enforce  the  necessity  on  the  part  of  Christians  of 
enduring  undeserved  suffering  patiently.  It  is  assumed  by  Peter  in  this 
appeal  to  the  example  of  Jesus  that  his  view  of  the  significance  of  Jesus' 
death  is  the  one  generally  current  among  his  readers.  In  order  to  note 
this  preliminary  point,  read  rapidly  2  :  18-25  an<^  3  :  8-18. 

2.  Taking  the  passages  up  in  detail,  note  first  in  i  :  10,  1  1  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  view  characteristic  of  the  Petrine  discourses  recorded  in 
Acts. 

Read  next  i  :  17,  1  8,  and  note  in  its  context,  w.  13-16,  the  practical 
purposes  of  the  allusion  to  Jesus'  death.  The  figure  here  is  that  of 
"  redemption,"  a  figure  full  of  meaning  in  the  earlier  life  and  literature 
of  the  Jews,  as  well  as  in  the  civilization  of  the  first  century.  What 
does  "  redeem  "  mean  in  this  statement  ?  "  Redeemed  "  from  what  ? 
"  Redeemed  "  by  what  or  whom  ?  The  allusion  to  the  blood  of  the 
"lamb  without  blemish  and  without  spot"  indicates  that  the  author 
has  in  mind  the  passover  offering.  Read  Exodus  12:5,  and  note  in 
vv.  21-28  the  original  significance  of  the  passover  offering.  Probably 
Peter  remembered  Jesus'  own  allusion  to  His  death  under  the  figure  of 
the  passover  lamb.  See  Mark  14  :  23-25  ;  and  Study  VII,  Fourth 
Day.  Does  the  statement  of  Peter  enable  you  to  tell  how  the  death  of 
Jesus  serves  to  "  redeem  "  ? 

3.  Read  next  2  :  24,  25,  noting  that  Peter  evidently  has  Is.  53  :  5- 
7  in  mind.      Notice  the  marginal  reading  (R.V.),  "carried  up  our 
sins  in  His  own  body  to  the  tree."     What  thought  do  you  suppose  to 
have  been  in  Peter's  mind  when  he  used  these  words  ?     Is  it  at  all  like 
that  presented  in  the   figure   used  by  Paul  in  the   last   clause  of  Col. 
2:14?     What  advantage  does  Peter  conceive  himself  to  have  experi- 
enced in  the  death  of  Jesus  ?     Does  he  explain  how  the  death  of  Jesus 
secured  this  advantage  ?  What  light  does  3:18  throw  upon  these  points  ? 

Notice  also  the  allusion  to  purification  through  the  blood  of  Jesus 
in  i  :  2. 

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STUDY  XIV. — (£|)e  &postoltc  Conception  of  tfce  ^tjjnifftance  of 
t&e  SDeatI)  of  jft&n* 

THIRD  DAY  :  PAUL'S  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
THE  DEATH  OF  JESUS 

1 .  It  is  not  feasible  to  attempt  an  exhaustive  examination  of  all  the 
Pauline  allusions    to  the   death  of  Jesus,  but  those  that  are  most  clear 
and  typical  may  be  segregated  for  consideration.      The  great  promi- 
nence of  the  subject  in  the  Pauline  literature,  and  the  meagre  discussion 
of  it  in  the  book  of  Acts,  tempt  one  to  imagine  that  Paul  was  the  first 
to  see  in  the  death  of  Jesus  something  more  than  the  mere  fulfilment 
of  Messianic  prophecy,  and  to  ask  what  purpose  it  served  in  the  econ- 
omy of  God.      Many  of  the  Pauline  allusions  to  the  death  of  Jesus, 
however,  seem  to  assume  that  certain  of  his  views  regarding  it  were 
already  current  in  the  Church  ;  and  if,  in  I  Cor.  15:3,  "received  " 
means  received  from  Christian  teachers,  as  the  following  verses  seem 
to  indicate,  then  we  have  explicit  testimony  to  the  fact  that  the  death 
of  Jesus  had  been  connected  in  Christian  thought  with  the  sin  of  men, 
before  the  conversion  of  Paul,  and  so,  of  course,  long  before  the  date 
of  his  earliest  extant  letters. 

2.  The   only  allusion  to   the  significance  of  the  death  of  Jesus  that 
occurs   in  either  of  the  Thessalonian  letters  is  in  I  Thess.  5:9,  10. 
Consider  what  the  expression  "  died  for  us,"  or  "  with  reference  to 
us,"  meant  to  Paul. 

3 .  In  the  letter  to  the  Galatians  which,  if  the  South  Galatian  theory 
regarding  its  readers  be  accepted,  was  written  either  just  before  or  soon 
after   those  to   the  Thessalonians,  several  strong  and  picturesque  ex- 
pressions occur.      The   intense  spirit,   which   characterizes  the  entire 
letter,  is  particularly  evident  in  its  allusions  to  the  death  of  Jesus. 

Notice  the  striking  clause  in  the  introduction,  I  :  4..  Does  this 
clause  refer  particularly  to  the  death  of  Jesus,  or  to  His  entire  earthly 
career  ?  Notice  the  recurrence  of  the  clause  at  the  end  of  2  :  20. 
Does  the  context,  w.  20,  21,  indicate  that  the  phrase  is  particularly 
descriptive  of  the  death  ?  If  so,  what  does  Paul  mean  when  he  says 
that  Jesus  Christ  in  death  "  gave  himself  in  behalf  of  me,"  or  "  with 
reference  to  our  sins"  (1:4)?  In  other  words,  What  advantage  do 
these  words  represent  Paul  to  have  experienced  from  the  death  of  Jesus  ? 

These  questions  are  more  easily  asked  than  answered.  One  pur- 
pose served  by  them  is  to  make  it  evident  that  various  answers  may  be 
given,  and  that  these  answer^  constitute  the  so-called  "  theories  of  the 

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atonement."  A  part  of  the  difficulty  seems  to  be  that  one  does  not 
find  himself  competent  to  reproduce  Paul's  point  of  view.  He  does 
not  know  with  what  intellectual  and  spiritual  presuppositions  Paul 
looked  at  the  subject.  Two  things  are  perfectly  clear,  and  they  are 
that  Paul  regarded  the  death  of  Jesus  as  an  expression  of  the  love  of 
Jesus  (2  :  20)  and  the  grace  of  God  (2  :  21)  ;  and  that  Paul  felt  it  to 
be  because  of  the  death  of  Jesus  that  he  had  entered  into  a  new  life  of 
great  blessing. 

With  these  thoughts  in  view  read  the  other  impressive  passage, 
3:13,  14,  noting  that  Paul's  phraseology  here  is  determined  by  that 
of  the  quotation.  What  advantage  is  here  (v.  14)  represented  as 
coming  to  the  believer  through  the  death  of  Jesus?  Does  Paul  here 
explain  how  the  death  of  Jesus  serves  to  confer  this  advantage? 

"  He,  like  no  other  one  that  ever  lived  on  earth,  has  borne  the  sins 
of  the  world.  But  Christ's  sin-bearing  was  not  a  separate  thing,  hav- 
ing its  significance  wholly  within  itself.  It  was  not  a  service  of  his  own 
offered  to  God  who  had  no  share  in  it.  Here,  as  everywhere,  God 
was  the  original  and  Christ  the  Word.  Christ's  sin-bearing  was  the 
expression  of  God's.  As  God's  hatred  of  sin  and  God's  Saviour- 
heart  found  expression  in  Christ,  so  in  Christ  did  the  fact  of  his  eternal 
sin-bearing  find  announcement  and  illustration.  The  sufferings  of 
Christ  were  the  true  representative  symbol  and  proclamation  of  what 
goes  on  perpetually  in  God.  From  them  God  wishes  the  world  to 
learn  that  sin  is  put  away  only  through  the  redemptive  suffering  of 
holy  love,  which  he  himself  is  gladly  bearing,  and  which  Christ,  his 
representative  and  expression,  endured  before  the  eyes  of  men." 

"In  seeking  to  save  us  Christ  offered  and  submitted  himself  to 
endure  the  closest  contact  with  the  moral  evil  that  he  abhorred  ;  to 
feel  all  the  grossness,  selfishness,  blindness,  ingratitude,  violence,  of  the 
sinful  hearts  of  men  ;  to  live,  love  and  labor  and  see  no  adequate  result 
or  return  ;  to  be  regarded  with  indifference,  suspicion,  contempt  or 
abhorrence  by  those  whom  he  was  living  for  ;  to  be  despised,  rejected 
and  murdered  by  those  over  whom  he  yearned  in  undying  affection  ; 
to  suffer  the  shame  of  a  criminal's  position  and  the  agony  of  a  disgrace- 
ful death ;  to  die  with  scarcely  a  soul  firmly  believing  in  him,  and  so  to 
seem  utterly  defeated  in  his  effort  to  reach  the  heart  of  mankind." 

Clarke,  An  Outline  of  Christian  Theology. 


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STUDY  XIV.  —  C&e  &poe(toltc  Conception  of  tfce  ^igntffcance  of 
t&e  SDeatfc  of 


FOURTH  DAY  :  PAUL'S  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
THE  DEATH  OF  JESUS  (CONTINUED) 

I  .  The  letters  to  the  Corinthian  Church  are  largely  concerned  with 
practical  details  of  church  life,  and  contain  only  incidental,  though 
highly  significant,  allusions  to  the  death  of  Jesus.  Note  the  outspoken 
emphasis  laid  by  Paul  upon  the  crucifixion  in  I  Cor.  I  :  13,  17,  18, 
22-24.  ;  2:2.  Paul  sees  a  connection  between  the  death  of  Jesus  and 
the  new  life  of  the  individual  believer.  Notice  the  expression  "cru- 
cified for  you  "  in  I  Cor.  1:13;  and  the  equally  significant  clause  in 
I  Cor.  8  :  1  1  .  It  is  equally  clear  that  this  connection  is  in  view  of 
the  wrong-doing  of  the  individual,  I  Cor.  15:3.  I  Corinthians 
seems  to  have  been  written  near  the  time  of  the  passover  festival,  when 
all  yeast,  or  "leaven,"  was  scrupulously  removed  from  the  Jewish 
house,  which  fact  leads  Paul  to  speak  of  Christ  as  the  Christian's  pass- 
over  sacrifice,  I  Cor.  5:7,  8. 

In  I  Cor.  II  :  24  it  is  evident  that  Paul  saw  in  the  Lord's  Supper  a 
commemoration  of  Jesus'  death  and  its  consequences  in  the  life  of  the 
believer.  He  saw  in  it  also  "  covenant  blood  "  (I  Cor.  II  125) 
which  Jesus  had  so  emphasized.  Cf.  Study  VII,  Fifth  Day. 

2.  In  II  Cor.  5  :  14,  15  there  are  presented  the  motives  that 
actuated  Jesus  in  His  submission  to  death,  the  connection  of  His  death 
with  the  new  life  of  believers,  and  the  attitude  toward  Jesus  appropriate 
on  the  part  of  those  benefited  by  His  death.  Read  the  passage  care- 
fully. There  appears  here  also  (in  the  R.  V.  )  a  Pauline  conception 
already  expressed  in  Gal.  2  :  20,  namely,  that  the  personality  of  the 
believer  is  so  closely  united  by  faith  to  that  of  Jesus  that  he  may  be 
said  to  have  shared  Jesus'  death,  resurrection,  and  new  life.  This 
closeness  of  relationship  on  the  part  of  Jesus  is  described  in  striking 
language  in  the  first  clause  of  II  Cor.  5:21,  and,  on  the  part  of  the 
believer,  in  the  second  clause.  God  was  in  Christ  making  an  effort  to 
get  sinful  men  back  to  Himself  (vv.  18,  19),  and  went  so  far  out  after 
them,  and  so  deeply  down  into  their  situation,  that  Christ  suffered 
death  like  a  sinner,  and  suffered  it  on  their  behalf  (v.  21),  or  gathered 
them  up  into  His  death  (v.  14,  R.  V.;  Gal.  2  :  20).  Here  again 
we  come  upon  the  old  question,  Does  Paul  explain  how  it  was  in  their 
behalf? 


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STUDY  XIV.  —  C&e  &pofiftolic  Conception  of  t&e  ^igniffcance  of 
tlje  £)eat&  of  Jeans 

FIFTH  DAY  :  PAUL'S  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
THE  DEATH  OF  JESUS  (CONTINUED) 

I  .  The  letter  to  the  Romans  contains  an  exposition  of  certain 
phases  of  Paul's  gospel  more  systematic  and  complete  than  appears 
elsewhere.  There  reappears  here  the  general  view  that  Jesus  died 
"  for  us,"  and  because  of  our  sins.  Read  carefully  4:25;  5:6; 
8  :  32  ;  14  :  15.  The  death  of  Christ  is  said  to  be  an  expression  of 
God's  love  (5  :  8),  and  to  be  an  arrangement  of  God  for  getting  us 
back  to  Himself  (5  :  10). 

2.  The  nearest  approach  to  an  explanation  of  the  significance  of  the 
death  of  Jesus  that  is  found  anywhere  in  the  Pauline  letters  appears  in 
3  :  21-26.       Read     the    paragraph,    adopting   the    marginal    reading 
"righteous,"  instead  of  "  just,"  and  "  account  righteous,"  instead'  of 
"justify."      Paul  is  stating  his  great  doctrine  of  so-called  "justifica- 
tion by  faith,"  namely,  that  whoever   "believes  in"   Jesus,  that   is, 
accepts  Him  as  the  unquestioned  Lord  and  Saviour  of  his  life,  is  ac- 
counted by  God   "  righteous,"    that  is,  rightly  related   to  God   and 
men.      His  submission  of  himself  to  Jesus  necessarily  involves  his  pur- 
posing  to  love   God  supremely  and   his  neighbor  as  himself.      This 
"accounting  the   believer  righteous"    involves  the  forgiveness  of  his 
past  sins,  and  such  association  of  him  with  the  Holy  Spirit  as  tends  to 
keep  him  from  habitual  sin  in  the  future   (chap.  8). 

The  statement  here  made  is  that  it  is  in  view  of  the  death  of  Jesus 
that  God  "accounts  righteous"  him  who  believes  in  Jesus.  The 
death  of  Jesus  is  something  that  exhibits  God  as  acting  "righteously  " 
in  now  "accounting  righteous"  him  who  believes  in  Jesus,  and  in 
having  forgiven  penitent  sinners  in  previous  ages.  Read  carefully 
vv.  24-26.  In  this  aspect  of  the  situation  the  death,  or  "  blood," 
of  Jesus  is  represented  as  something  "  propitiatory  "  (v.  25),  that  is, 
as  something  that  enables  God  to  treat  the  penitent  sinner  "propi- 
tiously," or  kindly. 

While  this  approaches  an  explanation,  the  fundamental  question  still 
arises,  Does  Paul  explain  bow  the  death  of  Jesus  enables  God  to  be 
righteous  and  pronounce  righteous  him  who  has  faith  in  Jesus  ? 

3.  Paul's  conception  of  a  spiritual  intimacy   between  the  disciple 
and  his  Lord,  so  close  as  to  involve  sharing  His  death  and  resurrection, 
appears  also  here,  in  6  :  I  -  1  1  . 

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STUDY  XIV.  —  C&e  &poatoltc  Conception  of  t&e  Significance  of 
t|)e  SDeatb  of 


SIXTH  DAY  :  PAUL'S  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
THE  DEATH  OF  JESUS  (CONCLUDED) 

I  .  The  later  letters  of  Paul  contain  reminiscences  of  the  conception 
of  the  significance  of  the  death  of  Jesus  which  has  been  discovered  in 
the  earlier  letters.  They  do  not,  with  a  single  possible  exception,  add 
anything  to  this  conception. 

See  the  general  allusion  in  Eph.  1:7;  its  application  to  the  non- 
Jewish  element  in  the  Asiatic  churches,  2:13;  and  to  the  combina- 
tion of  both  the  Jewish  and  the  non-Jewish  Christians  in  one  body, 
2:16.  In  5  :  25  a  familiar  expression  appears. 

2.  The  thought  of  the  letter  to  the  Colossians  is  very  similar  to  that  of 
Ephesians.      Note  the  high  view  of  the  personality  of  Christ  in  I  115- 
19,  and  the  consequent  significance  of  the  death  of  this  exalted  per- 
sonality in  vv.  20-22.      The  bloody  cross  becomes  central  in  the  uni- 
verse, a  peace-making  agency  whose  influence  is  felt  in  both  heaven 
and  earth. 

In  2  :  14  the  condemning  ordinances  of  the  Mosaic  legislation  with 
their  penalties  are  figuratively  represented  as  crucified,  that  is,  as  an- 
nulled in  the  case  of  the  believer  by  the  death  of  Jesus. 

3.  In  Phil.    2  :  8  and  3:10   certain  phases  of  the  Pauline  thought 
appear.      What  is  the  force  of  the  word  ''wherefore,"  2  :  10?     See 
also  I  Tim.  2  :  6  and  Titus  2:14. 

"  Let  us  take  another  long  look  upwards  at  this  blessed  Son  of  the 
Father's  love,  Cause  and  Corner-stone  of  the  Universe,  visible  and  in- 
visible, Head  of  the  Church,  giving  law  to  His  Body,  and  giving  it 
also  a  law-fulfilling  power.  Behold  Him  ;  He  is  Tabernacle  forever 
of  the  eternal  Plenitude,  Bearer  in  His  Incarnation  of  God-head  itself, 
and  therefore  infinite  Fountain  for  us  of  every  resource  which  we  need 
for  life  and  holiness.  And  then  let  us  make  haste  again  to  the  foot  of  the 
Cross.  Let  us  see  this  most  mysterious  Being  nailed  there  with  nails, 
and  crowned  with  thorns,  and  torn  by  the  Roman  lance  ;  a  dying, 
agonizing  human  frame  yielding  up  a  disembodied  human  spirit.  And 
let  us  measure  by  such  a  Death,  demanded,  exacted,  endured,  accom- 
plished, the  immensity  of  our  need  as  sinners,  and  the  immensity  also 
of  the  reconciliation  which  is  now  for  us  —  not  to  make,  but  to  take. 
To  Him  be  glory."  H.  C.  G.  Moule,  Colossian  Studies. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  "Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XIV.  —  C&e  gpofitolic  Conception  of  t&e  Significance  of 
t&e  £>eat&  of  f  eatus 

SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

Gather  up  the  points  discovered  during  the  week  in  such  a  way  as 
to  show  what  significance  the  early  disciples  saw  in  the  death  of  Jesus, 
as  indicated  in  the  discourses  in  Acts  ;  what  Peter's  conception  of  it 
was,  as  seen  in  I  Peter  ;  and  what  Paul's  conception  of  it  was. 

The  following  questions  may  help  you  to  make  a  summary  : 
What  do  they  conceive  to  have  been  Jesus'  motive  in  submitting  to 
death  ?  What  motive  led  God  to  allow  His  Christ  to  die  ?  Of  what 
advantage  is  it  to  men  that  Christ  died  ?  How  is  it  of  advantage  to 
men  that  Christ  died  ? 

"  We  need,  in  this  day  of  deepening  insight,  increasing  labor,  and 
heavier-pressing  burden  of  the  soul,  —  now,  more  than  ever,  we  need 
to  know  a  God  who  is  not  only  above  us,  but  also  with  us  and  for  us. 
A  God  who  is  willing  to  suffer  with  His  suffering  children  ;  a  God 
who  Himself  freely  pays  the  greatest  price  that  ever  can  be  paid  for 
the  vindication  of  the  holy  law  of  life  and  the  redemption  of  mankind 
from  evil  ;  a  God  whose  sacrifice  is  the  Atonement,  taking  away  the 
sin  of  the  world,  covering  alike  the  transgressions  of  the  ignorant  and 
the  degraded  and  the  deeper  offences  of  the  enlightened  and  the  privi- 
leged, and  giving  to  all  who  repent  a  sure  pledge  of  Divine  forgiveness 
and  help  —  to  believe  in  such  a  God  is  peace  and  courage  and  a  new 
hope  for  the  world.  Where  shall  the  men  of  to-day  find  this  Im- 
manuel,  this  present,  sympathizing,  suffering,  redeeming  Love  ? 

"  On  the  Cross  of  Calvary  this  God  is  revealed,  crowned  with 
thorns  and  enduring  death  for  our  sake." 

Henry  Van  Dyke,  The  Gospel  for  a  World  of  Sin. 


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STUDY  XV. — (£()e  Stpofitoltc  Conception  of  tfje  Significance  of 

tl)c  iDcatb  of  3[ccu0 
(  Continued) 

FIRST   DAY  :    THE    CONCEPTION   OF   THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
THE  DEATH  OF  JESUS  IN  HEBREWS 

i .  The  Jewish  element  in  the  early  Church  seems  not  to  have  real- 
ized that  their  acceptance  of  Jesus'  Messiahship  involved  the  abandon- 
ment or  alteration  of  any  of  the  regular  forms  of  Jewish  worship.  To 
their  minds  the  Messiah  was  the  one  under  whom  the  sacrificial  system 
and  all  the  temple  ritual  would  be  perfectly  administered.  The  beau- 
tiful temple  and  its  splendid  ritual  seemed  even  more  sacred  to  them 
than  to  the  orthodox  Jews.  It  was,  therefore,  a  great  source  of  dis- 
tress and  perplexity  to  them  to  see  that,  under  the  direction  of  the  con- 
verted rabbi,  Saul,  the  non-Jewish  element  in  the  Church,  which  had 
no  special  interest  in  these  sacred  forms  of  worship,  was  far  outnum- 
bering the  Jewish  Christians.  The  Christian  Church  was  coming  to 
be  a  body  largely  made  up  of  persons  who  were  indifferent  to  that 
which  was  sacred  to  the  devout  Jew.  As  a  further  source  of  distress, 
the  little  Jewish  minority  found  themselves  sorely  persecuted  by  their 
orthodox  fellow-countrymen,  and  at  times,  apparently,  excluded  from 
participation  in  the  temple  worship  which  was  so  dear  to  them 
(Heb.  10  :  13,  14).  In  this  serious  crisis,  shortly  before  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem  according  to  one  view  of  the  date  of  the  letter  to 
the  Hebrews,  God  raised  up  an  eloquent  man  who  had  once  viewed 
the  situation  from  their  present  standpoint,  but  who  had  found  a  way 
out  of  his  perplexity  ;  a  man  who  had  found  a  way  of  discarding 
Mosaism,  and  yet  regarding  it  as  a  divine  system  which  had  been  rightly 
reverenced  for  centuries.  He  proposed  to  show  the  Jewish  element  in 
the  Church  that  the  revelation  of  God  through  Jesus  Christ,  while  it 
was  the  legitimate  outgrowth  of  that  through  Moses  and  the  prophets 
(Heb.  i  :  1-4),  was  of  an  incomparably  higher,  more  glorious  order, 
and  was  intended  entirely  to  displace  Mosaism.  He  proposed  to  bring 
the  Jewish  Christians  into  the  same  liberty  in  which  Paul  had  already 
established  the  Gentiles. 

He  took  up  the  great  features  of  the  Jewish  system  of  worship  and 
showed  that  there  is  something  in  Jesus  Christ  that  corresponds  to 
them,  but  so  greatly  surpasses  them  as  properly  to  displace  them.  His 
argument  necessarily  was  adapted  to  the  needs  of  those  whom  he 
was  seeking  to  relieve,  and,  in  some  of  its  details,  does  not  im- 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 

press  the  modern  Christian,  untrained  in  Jewish  habits  of  thought  and 
feeling. 

2.  The  priestly  character  of  the  view  of  the  work  of  Jesus  is  seen  in 
the   expression    "purification  of  sins,"  found   at  the  very  beginning, 
1:3.      The  first  discussion  of  the  significance  of  the  death  is  found  in 
2  :  9-18.      The  author  has  been  asserting  that  the  Messiah  is  superior 
to  angels,  a  contention  entirely  unnecessary  for  those  holding  our  high 
view    of  Him,   but   very  necessary  in    the  case  of  the  Jews.      The 
author  feels  that  the  death  of  the  Messiah  will  seem  to  his  readers  a 
point  of  inferiority  to  deathless  angels,  and  therefore  proceeds  to  ex- 
plain the  reasons  for  His  death.      In  vv.  9,  10  what  is  represented  as 
the  consequence  of  death-suffering  in  the  career  and  character  of  Jesus 
Himself?      "Perfect,'*  or  "complete"  (v.  10)  in  what  particular? 

What  allusion  is  there  in  v.  9  to  the  effect  of  Jesus'  death-suffering 
upon  the  character  and  career  of  others  ?  Vv.  11-13  seern  to  be  a 
parenthetical  justification  of  the  use  of  the  word  "sons"  in  v.  10. 
Then  in  vv.  14-17  there  follows  a  more  explicit  statement  of  the  rea- 
son for  the  Messiah's  death.  It  is  necessary  to  remember  that  this  is 
an  explanation  adapted  to  those  whose  thought  of  the  Messiah,  and  of 
the  religious  life  in  general,  was  somewhat  narrow  and  meager.  The 
author's  thought  will  be  brought  out  by  two  or  three  questions  :  How 
did  the  death  and  resurrection  of  Jesus  bring  to  naught  the  power  of 
the  death-inflicting  devil  ?  Furthermore,  even  though  Jesus  did  pass 
through  the  experience  of  death  unharmed,  how  did  that  fact  prove 
that  anyone  else  could  do  the  same  ?  That  is,  what  assumption,  ex- 
pressed in  the  context  regarding  the  relation  of  Jesus  to  His  disciples, 
underlies  the  statement  made  in  v.  15  ? 

It  is  not  quite  clear  whether  the  author  thinks  of  the  word  "propiti- 
ation" (v.  17)  as  applicable  to  Jesus'  death,  or  to  His  whole  priestly 
administration.  In  either  case,  what  does  the  word  mean  here  ?  The 
thought  of  v.  10  needs  to  be  constantly  borne  in  mind.  The  priest  is 
not  a  kindly  disposed  person  who  succeeds  in  making  God  share  his 
kindly  feeling,  for  the  priest  and  all  his  propitiatory  measures  are  an  ap- 
pointment of  God  Himself,  who  is  bent  on  "  bringing  many  sons  unto 
glory." 

3.  The   author's   great  fundamental   thought   is   that  Jesus   in  the 
largeness  of  His  heart   has  called  us  "brothers"  (v.   12),  and  means 
what  He  says.      He  feels  toward  us  like  a  "  brother."       He  who  has 
"sat  down  on  the  right  hand   of  the  Majesty  on  high"  (1:3)  is  one 
of  us. 

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STUDY  XV.  —  C&e  £pogtoltc  Conception  of  t&e  Significance  of  t&e 

of 


(  Continued) 

SECOND  DAY  :  THE  CONCEPTION  OF   THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
THE  DEATH  OF  JESUS  IN  HEBREWS  (CONCLUDED) 

i  .  The  aim  of  the  author  of  Hebrews,  in  his  further  discussion  of 
the  death  of  Jesus,  is  to  show,  in  a  fashion  suited  to  the  habits  of 
thought  of  those  addressed,  how  the  death  of  Jesus  displaces  various 
features  of  the  Jewish  sacrificial  system.  The  force  of  his  method  of 
argumentation  is  appreciated  only  when  we  realize  that  these  readers 
had  been  trained  from  childhood  to  reverence  rites  and  ceremonies  of 
the  Mosaic  ritual  that  may  seem  artificial  to  those  unacquainted  with 
their  significance. 

2.  Read  7  :  26-28,  which  occurs  in  a  section  (4  :  14-7  :  28)  de- 
voted to  showing  that  Jesus  is  a  priest  superior  to  the  Levitical  priests, 
and  so  intended  to  displace  them.      In  the  last  clause  of  v.  27  an  an- 
ticipatorv  allusion  is  made  to  the  fact  that  He  is  a  priest  who  sacrifices 
Himself.      This  thought  is  developed  in  10  :  1-18,  which  represents 
Jesus  as  the  supreme  and  final  sacrifice.      It  is  difficult  to  discern  all  the 
thought   among  various  classes   of  people   that  underlay  the  different 
forms  of  sacrifice,  but  it  seems  clear  that  sacrifice  was  in  general  under- 
stood to  be  a  way  in  which  a  penitent  man  might  draw  near  to  God. 

3.  The  high  priest  had  to  have  blood  when  he  entered  the  sacred 
inner  chamber  of  the  temple  (9  :  6-8)  ;  Jesus  with  His  own  blood  ap- 
peared before  God  and  eternally  displaced  the  high  priest  (vv.  11-14). 

The  familiar  thought  that  Jesus'  blood  may  be  regarded  as  covenant 
blood  re-appears  here  in  9  :  15-20  ;  10  :  29  ;  12  :  24  ;  13  :  20. 

4.  Underneath  all  this  symbolism,  so  helpful  and  significant  to  men 
trained  in  Jewish  habits  of  thought,  the  dominant  idea  of  the  author 
is  discerned  in  his  exhortations,  and  perhaps  most  distinctly  in  10  :  18- 
25.      "Let  us  draw  near!"  (v.  22)   is  the  dominant  note.     Jesus 
in   all   His   activity,  and   especially  in    His  death,  is  regarded  by  the 
author  as  one  who  brings  men  and  God  together. 

5.  The  motive  that  actuated  Jesus  in  His  submission  to  death  is  re- 
ferred to  in    12:2.      Every  person  needs  an  adequate  motive.      The 
greater  the  personality,  the  ampler  must  be  the  motive.      What  was 
there  in  Jesus'  vision  of  the  future  that  produced  within  Him  a  "joy," 
in  comparison  with  which  the  shame  of  the  cross  seemed  unworthy  of 
mention  ? 

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STUDY  XV.  —  CE&e  &pofitolic  Conception  of  t()e  i&tg;ntfftance  of 

of 


{Continued} 

THIRD  DAY  :  JOHN'S  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF 
THE  DEATH  OF  JESUS 

I  .  Read  I  John  I  :  7  and  note  what  is  mentioned  as  the  effect  of 
the  death  of  Jesus  upon  the  believer's  life.  Is  there  anything  in  the 
context  (vv.  5-10)  that  shows  what  John  means  by  "cleansing  from 
sin  '  '  ?  The  expression  seems  necessarily  to  involve  a  reformation  in 
personal  character.  Is  there,  then,  anything  in  the  context  which 
shows  how  this  righteous  personal  character  is  secured  ?  Consider 
whether  there  can  be  any  true  forgiveness  that  does  not  seek  the  refor- 
mation of  the  wrong-doer.  Does  the  paragraph  explain  what  connec- 
tion there  is  between  the  death  of  Jesus  and  the  reforming  forgiveness 
of  God  ?  Notice  the  less  figurative  statement  in  3  :  16,  and  the  phase 
of  the  death  which  John  there  had  occasion  to  emphasize. 

2.  Note  the  word  that  occurs  in  2  :  2  and  4:10.  Jesus'  death  is 
not  specifically  mentioned  here,  but  in  the  light  of  I  :  7  and  3:16  there 
seems  little  doubt  that  the  death  is  intended.  If  it  is  God  whose  ac- 
tion is  rendered  propitious  by  the  death  of  Jesus,  note  clearly  that  there 
was  nothing  in  the  death  of  Jesus,  according  to  John's  thought,  that 
increased  the  love  of  God,  for  John  in  this  sentence  represents  the 
death  of  Jesus  to  be  an  expression  of  the  love  of  God.  The  death  of 
Jesus  may  have  been  something  that  in  some  way  made  it  suitable 
for  God  to  adopt  certain  gracious  measures  in  dealing  with  men,  but  it 
evidently  was  not  needed  to  affect  God's  disposition. 

"  The  very  God  !  think,  Abib  5  dost  thou  think  ? 
So,  the  All-great  were  the  All-loving,  too,  — 
So,  through  the  thunder  comes  a  human  voice 
Saying,  '  O  heart  I  made,  a  heart  beats  here  ! 
Face,  my  hands  fashioned,  see  it  in  myself! 
Thou  hast  no  power,  nor  may'st  conceive  of  mine, 
But  love  I  gave  thee,  with  myself  to  love, 
And  thou  must  love  me  tuho  have  died  for  thee  !  *  ' 

Browning,  An  Epistle. 


IIO 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  'Jesus  and  His  Apostles 

STUDY  XV.  —  Cfje  &po0tolic  Conception  of  t&e  Significance  of  tfce 
£>eat()  of 


{Concluded) 

FOURTH  DAY  :    SUMMARY  OF  THE  APOSTOLIC  CONCEPTION 
OF  THE  SIGNIFICANCE  OF  THE  DEATH  OF  JESUS 

1.  Turn   to   Study  XIV,  Seventh    Day,  and    apply   the   last   four 
questions  suggested  there  to  the  work  of  the  last  three  days. 

2.  It  has  become  evident  that  in  the  apostolic  thought,  as  in  the 
teaching  of  Jesus,  the  death  of  Jesus  stands  in  some  vital  connection 
with  the  saving  of  men  from  wrong  to  right  character.      The  apostolic 
writers  do  not  hesitate  to  say,  "  He  died  for  us."      Certain  statements 
seem  distinctly  to  imply  that  God's  infinitely  gracious  treatment  of  men 
is  in  view  of  the  death  of  Jesus,  though  all  the  apostolic  writers  take 
care  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  God's  love  for  men  was  the  sending 
power  behind  the  loving  life  and  death  of  Jesus.      They  all  proclaim 
the/rf*7  that  the  death  of  Jesus  serves  to  bring  God  and  men  together. 
None  of  them,  it  seems,  attempts  to  give  a  philosophical  explanation  of 
the  fact.      Perhaps  this  was  one  of  the  things  that  Paul  had  in  mind 
when  he  said,  "  Now  I  know  in  part  "  (I  Cor.  13  :  12). 

The  Church  has  inherited  this  problem  from  the  apostles  as  a  subject 
for  reverent  contemplation.  The  results  of  such  contemplation  appear 
in  various  "theories  of  the  atonement,"  all  of  which  doubtless  have 
contributed  something  to  the  ultimate  solution,  no  one  of  which  has 
proven  finally  and  wholly  adequate.  This  is  what  we  should  expect, 
for  it  has  become  increasingly  clear  in  the  history  of  Christian  thinking 
that  the  suffering  death  of  Jesus  is  in  no  sense  a  spectacular  or  super- 
ficial phenomenon,  but  that  it  is  a  real  revelation  of  the  very  heart  of 
God.  To  understand  fully  the  significance  of  the  suffering  of  Jesus, 
therefore,  is  to  understand  the  inmost  heart  of  God.  Human  thought 
has  not  reached  the  point  where  it  is  equal  to  this.  Doubtless  in  the 
ages  to  come  men  will  see  with  clearer  and  more  sympathetic  vision 
into  the  heart  of  God  ;  but  perhaps  there  will  always  remain  mysteri- 
ous depths  in  the  heart  of  God,  to  a  further  penetration  of  which  the 
contemplation  of  the  suffering  death  of  Jesus  will  still  be  essential.  The 
cross  of  Christ,  even  in  eternity,  may  not  be  an  object  of  merely  his- 
toric interest,  but  an  eternal  source  of  the  better  understanding  of  God. 


in 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XV.—  Kebieto  of  part 

FIFTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  STUDIES  IX,  X,  XI 

Remember  that  the  theme  of  Part  II  is  "The  Apostolic  Conception 
of  Jesus  and  His  Mission."  The  questions  to  be  asked  are,  Who  did 
the  apostles  think  that  He  was  ?  What  was,  is,  or  is  to  be  His  chief 
business  ?  Glance  rapidly  over  Studies  IX,  X,  XI,  and  make  any 
notes  that  will  contribute  to  your  final  reply  to  these  questions. 

SIXTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  STUDIES  XII,  XIII 

Go  rapidly  over  Studies  XII  and  XIII  according  to  the  suggestions 
made  yesterday,  and  recall  the  summary  of  Studies  XIV  and  XV. 

SEVENTH  DAY:  SUMMARY  OF  PART  II 

1.  Write  out  in  a  brief  paragraph  your  general  statement  of  the 
apostolic  conception  of  Jesus  and  His  mission. 

2.  The  impression  made  upon  one  by  the  study  of  the  apostolic  lit- 
erature, is  that  the  apostles  had  been  profoundly  influenced  by  a  Great 
Person.      Even  if  there  were  no  Gospels,  it  would  be  evident  that  a 
Great  Person  had  lived  and  was  conceived  to  be  still  living,  for  in  this 
literature  we  find  a  body  of  men  worshiping  Him  ;  and  conceiving 
themselves  to  be  in  daily,  vital  association  with  the  object  of  their  wor- 
ship.    "Christ  liveth  in  me"  is  their  calmly  ecstatic  statement.     They 
regarded  the  Great  Person  as  an  eternal  manifestation  of  God  ;  as  the 
One  through  whom  God  brought  all  things  into  existence,  in  whose 
gracious  man-life  and  divine   death-suffering  He  came  close  to  sinful 
men  to  make  them  righteous,  and  by  whom  God's  endless  Kingdom 
of  redeemed    men    will   be    brought   to  consummation.      This  Great 
Person  is  at  once  God  at  His  clearest  and  man  at  his  best. 

Therefore,  the  real  character  of  every  individual,  his  attitude  toward 
God  and  men,  is  revealed  by  his  attitude  toward  this  Great  Person. 
1  he  purpose  of  the  apostles  was  by  personal  testimony  to  bring  this 
Great  Person  before  every  man. 

"  It  shall  be 

A  Face  like  my  face  that  receives  thee ;  a  Man  like  to  me, 
Thou  shalt  love  and  be  loved  by,  forever  :  a  Hand  like  this  hand 
Shall  throw  open  the  gates  of  new  life  to  thee  !     See  the  Christ  stand  !  '* 

Browning,  Saul. 
112 


PART  III 

JESUS'   CONCEPTION   OF  THE   DISCI- 
PLE  AND   HIS   MISSION 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XVI.  —  ^featta*  Conception  of  ^Hen  as  potential 
FIRST  DAY:  JESUS'  INTEREST  IN  MEN 

1.  In  the  two  preceding  Parts  of  the  book  we  have  considered  "Je- 
sus' Conception  of  Himself  and  His  Mission,"  and  "The  Apostolic 
Conception  of  Jesus  and  His  Mission.  "     We  come  now  naturally  to 
"Jesus'  Conception  of  the  Disciple  and  His  Mission."      Such  a  study 
needs  to  be  prefaced  by  a  study  of  Jesus'  attitude  toward  men  in  general. 

2.  One  of  the  most  striking  characteristics  of  Jesus  was  His  won- 
derful interest  in  men.      His  apostles  are  upon  record  as  impressed  by 
the  effect  produced  upon  Him  by  the  sight  of  crowds  of  men,  an  effect 
doubtless  revealed  in  the  expression  of  His  eye  and  face,  as  well  as  in 
word  and  action.     Read  Matt.  9:35,  36  ;  14:13,  14.     Much  deal- 
ing with  men  in  the  mass  did  not,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  cause  His 
interest  in  individual  men  to  abate.      The  last  verse  cited  above  shows 
how  quickly  He  resolved  the  mass  into  cases  of  individual  need.      See 
also  Luke  4  :  40.      No  greater  evidence  of  His  interest  appears  any- 
where than  in  the  account  of  His  quiet  interview  with  the  one  name- 
less woman  of  Samaria.      See  John  4  :  27-34. 

Read  His  two  most  comprehensive  descriptions  of  Himself,  Luke 
4:16-21;  7:  18-22,  noting  that  their  prominent  characteristic  is 
interest  in  men  —  and  men  who  were  not  possessed  of  any  extrinsic  at- 
tractiveness, but  who  were  just  men. 

He  made  it  very  evident  that  His  supreme  interest  was  in  the 
"  Kingdom  of  God,"  but  this  "  Kingdom  "  is  made  up  of  men. 

3.  His  interest  included  all  classes,  even  those  commonly  regarded 
as  socially  and  morally  unfit  for  the  society  of  religious  men.'     Read 
Mark    2:13-16.      Note  what  Mark    10:13-16   indicates  regarding 
His  interest  in  a  bare  human  personality,  as  compared  with  the  current 
thought  even  of  good  men. 

See  how  in  Mark  2:27  His  elevation  of  personality  above  institu- 
tions shows  where  His  supreme  interest  centers. 

Try  to  realize  the  interest  in  men  which  prompted  the  utterance 
recorded  in  Mark  10  :  45. 

He  represented  this  interest  in  a  human  personality  as  not  peculiar  to 
Himself,  but  as  shared  by  God  and  heaven.  Recall  the  illustrations 
taken  from  the  life  of  the  shepherd-folk  and  the  housewife,  and  His 
description  of  the  Glad  Father  in  Luke  15,  reading  particularly  vv. 
7,  10,  20-24. 

"  Nor  can  it  suit  me  to  forget 
The  mighty  hopes  that  make  us  men.*' 

Tennyson,  In  Memoriam. 
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STUDY  XVI. — ^Jeans'  Coacepttou  of  JHen  a0  potential 

SECOND  DAY  :    JESUS'  CONCEPTION  OF  WHAT  IT  is  FOR  A 
MAN  TO  BE  LOST 

1 .  It  goes  without  saying  that  Jesus*  profound  interest  in  man  was 
not  assumed  or  artificial,  but  real.      No  one  can  be  sincerely  interested 
in  a  thing  unless  the  thing  itself  be  interesting.      Sometimes  it  is  one's 
own  fault  that  he  is  not  interested  in  what  ought  to  interest  him  ;  but 
granted  that  he  is    what  he  ought  to  be,  as  Jesus  was,  and  it  is  true 
that   if  he  is  to  feel  interest  in  a  thing,  the  thing  must  be   interesting. 
The  question   arises,  therefore,  What   was   there  about  a  man,  con- 
sidered   simply  as  a  man,  that  made  him  seem  interesting  and  valuable 
to  Jesus  ? 

Before  reading  further  on  this  page  consider  any  utterances  of  Jesus 
about  men  which  you  happen  to  remember,  and  express  your  opinion 
on  this  point. 

2.  When  He  was  called  to  account  for  His  interest  in  the  publican 
Zacchasus,  what  does  His  reply  indicate  to  have  been  the  one  or  two 
interesting  features  of  Zacchaeus'  personality  ?     Read  Luke  19:9,  I  o. 
Cf.  also  Mark  2  :  16,  17. 

3 .  Jesus  was  evidently  affected  by  the  fact  that  the  men  with  whom 
He  had  to  do  were  "lost,"  as  He  expressed  it.      What  is  it,  then,  in 
Jesus'   thought  to  be  "lost  "  ?     The  best  commentary  on  the  word  is 
found   in  Luke  15.      Read  vv.  i-io,  noting  that  it  is  the  publicans, 
spoken  of  in  the  passage  cited  above  as  lost,  that  are  under  discussion. 
A  thing  is  lost  when  it  gets  away  from  the  place  where  it  belongs,  and 
is  in  danger  of  never  getting  back.      A   person  is  lost  when  he   gets 
away  from  the  person  to  whom  he  belongs,  and  is  in  danger  of  not 
getting  back.      One  person  may  get  away  from  another  without  being 
separated   from    him   in   space.      A   child  who  cares  nothing  for   his 
father,  and  would  be  equally  content  to  go  with  any  one  of  the  hun- 
dreds of  persons  passing  him  and  his  father  on  the  street,  is  more  hope- 
lessly "lost"   to  his  father  than  is  the  child  who,  a  block  away  from 
his  father,  stands  frightened  and  crying  for  him.      Read  Luke  15  :  ii' 
32,  and  consider  what  it  was  that  constituted  the  son  "  lost"  (v.  24) 
in  the  estimation  of  his  father.      Now  turn  again  to  Luke  19:  I  o,  and 
state  what  it  was  in  the  persons  of  the  class  to  which  this  man  belonged 
that  constituted  them  "lost." 


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STUDY  XVI. — 3efim0'  Conception  of  ;pen  aa  potential 

THIRD  DAY: — JESUS'  CONCEPTION  OF  WHAT  IT  is  FOR  A 
MAN  TO  BE  LOST  (CONCLUDED) 

1.  A  person  is   "lost"   if  he  becomes  spiritually  estranged  from 
those  to  whom  he  belongs  and  upon  association  with  whom  the  wel- 
fare of  his  being  depends.      The  question  arises,  To  whom  did  Jesus 
consider  men  to  belong  ?     The  answer  is  patent  in  the  teaching  of 
Jesus.      Read  Matt.  22  :  37-40.      Men  belong  to  God  and  to  each 
other.     Those  who  do  not  care  for  God  and  for  each  other  are  "lost." 
A  son  who  does  not  care  for  his  father  and  his  brothers  is  "lost"  to  the 
family.     This  is  simply  one  way  of  describing  the  profoundly  selfish  man. 

2.  Is  it  possible  to  ascertain  from  the  teaching  of  Jesus  what  the  fate 
of  the  lost  man  is  ?      In  other  words,  What  does  He  represent  to  be  the 
effects  of  selfishness  upon  the  personality  of  the  selfish  man  ?      Read 
Matt.  25  :  41-46,  and  ascertain  whether  it  throws  any  light  on  Jesus* 
conception  of  the  fate  of  the  man  who  fails  to  care  for  God  and  his 
fellow  men.      Evidently  some  of  the  language  used  here  is  figurative, 
but  what  seems  to  you  to  be  the  dreadful  fact  behind  the  figure  ? 

A  significant  clause  in  the  description  of  a  selfish  man's  fate  is  found 
in  John  12  :  24,  25.  A  man  who  insists  on  living  for  himself,  who 
refuses  to  care  for  God  and  his  fellow  men,  in  the  nature  of  the  case 
cannot  form  friendships.  The  friend-making  power  is  destroyed  by 
disuse,  and  he  is,  therefore,  condemned  by  the  law  of  his  own  being 
to  eternal  solitude.  He  must  "  abide  alone."  What  the  ultimate 
effect  of  this  eternal  solitude  upon  the  personality  is,  the  teaching  of 
Jesus  does  not  reveal.  The  two  royal  faculties  of  the  soul,  the  ability 
to  love  and  the  ability  to  achieve,  would  seem  to  be  destroyed.  The 
soul  has  cut  itself  off  from  friends  and  work.  It  has  "departed" 
(Matt.  25  :  41)  from  the  personality  who  is  Himself  the  great  Friend 
and  the  great  Workman,  the  source  of  all  friendship  and  achievement. 
Such  a  soul  takes  its  place  with  the  drift  and  refuse  of  the  universe, 
"  unprofitable,"  good  for  nothing.  Read  Matt.  25  :  30. 

3.  Whether   this   be  or  be  not  a   true  view  of  Jesus'    conception  of 
the  fate  of  the  "  lost "  personality,  it  is  certain  that  Jesus  regarded  the 
fate  of  the  lost  as  an  inconceivably  lamentable  catastrophe.      Read  the 
solemn  warning  in  Luke  9:25. 

«  Which  way  I  fly  is  Hell  j  myself  am  Hell." 

Milton,  Paradise  Lost. 

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STUDY  XVI.  —  JJesttfli'  Conception  of  Jften  as  potential 

FOURTH  DAY  :  —  JESUS'  CONCEPTION  OF  WHAT  IT  is  FOR  A 
MAN  TO  BE  FOUND 

1  .    One  of  the  most  interesting  characteristics  of  man  is  his  capacity 
for  becoming  lost.      A  commonplace,  every-day  man,  like  those  with 
whom  Jesus  was  constantly  mingling,  is  capable  of  becoming  a  lost  man 
—  may  already  be  a  lost  man.      On  the  other  hand,  he  is  capable  of  be- 
coming something  diametrically  the  opposite  of  this  state  of  "  lostness." 

2  .   If  to  be  lost  is  to  fail  to  care  for  God  as  a  Father  and  for  men  as 
brothers,  then  to  be  "  found,"  or  to  be  "  saved,"  both  of  which  were 
favorite  words  of  Jesus,  is  to  be  brought  to  feel  a  vital,  personal  interest 
in  God  as  a  Father  and  men  as  brothers.      It  is  to  take  one's  proper 
place  in  God's  family.     Read  again  Luke  I  5  :  18-24,  tms  tmie  m  order 
to  see  the  new  feeling  for  God  as  a  Father  which  constitutes  the  "  lost  " 
man   "found"    (v.  24),  and   enables  him  to  take   his  place   in   the 
Father's  household. 

Study  the  case  of  the  lost  man  described  in  Luke  19  :  i-io,  whom 
Jesus  succeeded  in  finding  (vv.  9,  10),  and  see  in  what  his  "found- 
ness"  consisted.  It  is  not  evident  whether  he  regarded  Jesus  as  the 
Messiah  or  not,  but  at  least  he  regarded  Him  as  a  prophet  of  God,  and 
felt  delighted  surprise  at  the  unexpected  honor  of  entertaining  Him. 
He  seemed  to  feel,  however,  that  when  Jesus  learned  who  he  was 
(v.  7),  He  would  instantly  withdraw  from  him  as  all  the  other  relig- 
ious men  he  had  ever  known  had  done.  He  resolved  to  keep  his  guest 
at  any  cost,  and  on  the  spot  formed  and  expressed  a  resolution  (v.  8) 
that  drew  from  Jesus  the  glad  recognition  of  the  fact  that  he  was 
"saved"  or  "found"  (vv.  9,  10).  What  was  it  in  his  attitude 
toward  God,  as  expressed  in  his  treatment  of  God's  prophet  —  or  Mes- 
siah if  he  recognized  Him  as  such  —  and  in  his  attitude  toward  men, 
as  expressed  in  his  new  resolution,  that  shows  him  to  have  taken  his 
proper  place  in  God's  family  ? 

"The  poor  represent  man  stripped  of  all  extrinsic  attributes  of  hon- 
or, and  reduced  to  that  which  is  common  to  all  mankind.  On  this 
naked  humanity  the  world  has  ever  set  little  value.  It  begins  to  inter- 
est itself  in  a  man  when  he  is  clothed  with  some  outward  distinction  of 
wealth  or  birth  or  station.  A  mere  man  is  a  social  nobody.  Christ, 
on  the  other  hand,  highly  valued  in  man  only  his  humanity,  accounting 
nothing  he  could  possess  of  such  importance  as  he  himself  was  or  might 
become."  Bruce,  The  Kingdom  of  God. 

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STUDY  XVI.  —  ^t&n*'  Conception  of  Jften  as  potential  ^Disciples 

FIFTH    DAY  :  JESUS'  CONCEPTION    OF    WHAT  IT  is    FOR  A 
MAN  TO  LIVE 

1.  Another  word  which  was   frequently  upon  Jesus'   lips,  as  He 
thought  of  the  possibilities  of  the  interesting  human  personalities  with 
which  He  had  to  do,  was  the  word  "life,"  or  "  eternal  life."      The 
expression  "  alive  "  seems  to  be  synonymous  with  "  found  "  (cf.  Luke 
15  :  24)  or  "saved";  and  it  is  easy  to  see  why  this  is  so.      Life  is 
sometimes  defined  as  the  adaptation  of  an  organism  to  its  surroundings. 
The  fish  floundering  in  the  mud  cannot  live  because  of  the  lack  of  such 
adaptation,  whereas,  pushed  into  the  water  to  which  its  organism  is 
adapted,  it  lives.      What,  then,  are  the  essential  features  in  the  surround- 
ings of  man  ?     Looking  above  the  realm  of  air  and  food,  they  are 
persons,  God,  the  supreme  Person,  and  men.      What  is  such  adaptation 
to  this  personal  environment  as  constitutes  life  ?     Jesus'  reply  to  this 
question  is  perfectly  clear  :   '  '  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with 
all  thy  heart,  and  thy  neighbor  as  thyself."       "This  do  and  thou 
shalt  flW."      Read  Luke  10  :  25-28.      Cf.  John  17:3. 

In  other  words,  he  who  treats  God  as  a  real  Father  and  men  as  real 
brothers,  who  takes  his  proper  place  in  God's  family,  as  was  said  in 
yesterday's  study,  "lives  "  in  Jesus'  conception  of  the  word. 

2.  Read  on  through  Luke  I  o  :  30-3  7,  in  which  Jesus  draws  a  picture  of 
a  man  who  was  "  alive  "  and  contrasts  him  with  two  men  who,  though 
professional  religionists,  were  nevertheless  not   "alive."      Then  read 
again  vv.  25-28,  37.   What  was  it  that  constituted  this  man  "  alive  "  ? 

In  Mark  10  :  17-22  study  Jesus'  treatment  of  another  man  who  had 
some  desire  to  begin  to  "  live  "  (v.  17).  The  requirement  made  in 
v.  2  1  is  not  an  arbitrary  one,  nor  one  made  simply  to  test  his  readiness 
to  obey.  In  the  very  nature  of  things  the  only  way  for  the  young  man 
to  begin  to  "  live"  was  to  begin  to  be  a  true  brother  to  other  men, 
and  in  following  Jesus  to  be  a  true  son  to  God.  In  this  connection 
read  once  more  Matt.  25  :  34-40. 

3.  Human  life  is  an  era  of  beginnings.    A  physician  bends  anxiously 
over  a  patient,  until  his  skilled  eye  detects  certain  favorable  symptoms, 
and  then  turns  away  saying,  "He  will  live  !"   although  the  patient 
has  still  before  him  many  a  weary  week  in  bed.      So  it  may  be  that 
when  God  detects  the  beginnings  of  a  really  unselfish  love  for  Himself 
and  His  children  in  us,  He  can  say  that  we  have  begun  to  live,  though 
the  beginnings  of  life  be  but  feeble  and  require  long  nursing  for  their 
development  into  strength. 

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STUDY  XVI.  —  *jjt&n6'  Conception  of  JHen  as  potential 
SIXTH  DAY  :  JESUS'  DESIRE  FOR  DISCIPLES 

1.  Jesus  felt  confident  that  by  becoming  His  disciples  men  would 
begin  to  "live,"  or  be  "saved,"  or  "found."     In  the  Gospel  of 
John  particularly  He  steadily  connects  believing  on  Him  with  the  at- 
tainment of  eternal  life.      See  John  6  :  40. 

It  remains  to  be  asked  how  believing  on  Jesus,  or  becoming  His  dis- 
ciple, can  give  a  man  "life."  To  believe  in  Jesus,  as  was  seen  in 
Study  II,  Sixth  Day,  is  to  surrender  to  Him  in  loving  trust  as  the 
Lord  and  Friend  He  represents  Himself  to  be.  Such  surrender  neces- 
sarily involves  the  loving  of  God  as  a  Father  and  one's  neighbor  as  one's 
self  that  constitutes  life,  for  Jesus  Christ  in  His  own  person  represents 
to  us  both  God  and  men.  He  is  God  in  His  clearest  manifestation  of 
Himself,  so  that  to  love  Him  is  to  love  God.  He  also  has  devoted 
Himself  to  men,  so  that  to  attach  one's  self  to  Him  is  to  join  Him  in 
His  devotion  to  men.  See  the  evidence  of  this  in  Mark  10:21, 
where  Jesus  was  directing  the  young  man  into  life  (v.  17). 

2.  Does  Jesus  hold  that  all  men  need  to  become  disciples  in  order 
to  have  life  ?     Consider  whether  the  following  statements  do,  or  do 
not,  assume  the  universal  selfishness  of  humanity  :  Luke  1  1  113;  13:1- 
5  ;  John  3  :  1-6.     Add  any  other  statements  that  occur  to  you. 

3.  Does  Jesus  hold  that  all  men  are  capable  of  becoming  disciples  ? 
Consider  the  bearing  of  Matt.  1  1  :  28-30  ;   28  :  19,  20  on  this  point. 
Jesus'  universal  interest  in  men  of  all  classes  seems  to  imply  His  confi- 
dence that  there  is  a  capacity  for  discipleship  in  every  man  ;  that  every 
man  by  virtue  of  simply  being  a  man  is  capable  of  becoming  a  true  son 
to  God  and  a  true  brother  to  his  fellow-men.     Jesus  carried  with  Him, 
as  He  went  about  among  men,  a  certain  confident  hopefulness  that  was 
nevertheless  not  based  on  a  superficially  optimistic  view  of  their  needs  ; 
and  the  results  justified  His  expectation.      He  came  sometimes  with  His 
friendly  offer  of  discipleship  to  what  others  had  abandoned  as  the  mere 
wreckage  and  ruin  of  a  human  personality,  and  found  that  something  in 
the  wreckage  and  ruin  rose  up  in  response  with  a  glad  sense  of  surpriae 
and  new  possibility. 

4.  In  the  light  of  these  conceptions,  imagine  the  deep  desire  of  heart 
"vith  which  He  spoke  such  words  as  Matt.  1  1  :  28-30  ;  28:19,  20. 


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STUDY  XVI.  —  JJesttfii'  Conception  of  Jften  aa  potential  Disciple* 
SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

Review  the  work  of  the  week,  summarizing  the  evidences  of  Jesus' 
interest  in  men  ;  the  reasons  for  such  interest  ;  the  possibilities  of  a 
human  personality  ;  the  advantages  to  men  of  discipleship  as  the  means 
of  realizing  these  possibilities. 

"  To  value  human  nature  in  its  ideal  is  one  thing,  to  take  flattering 
views  of  its  real  state  as  seen  in  the  average  man  is  another.  Jesus  did 
the  former  ;  He  did  not  do  the  latter.  The  interest  He  took  in  the 
poor,  the  suffering,  the  depraved,  was  not  sentimental.  These  classes 
were  not  pets  of  whose  condition  he  took  an  indulgent,  partial  view, 
deeming  the  poor  victims  of  wrong,  and  the  sinful  good-hearted,  though 
weak-willed  people.  .  .  .  He  saw  in  human  lives  all  around 
Him  the  evidence  of  sin's  corrupting,  deadening,  enslaving  power. 
He  saw  in  the  sinful  something  more  than  death,  depravity, 
and  bondage.  .  .  .  On  this  better  element  He  ever  kept  His 
eye  ;  His  constant  effort  was  to  get  into  contact  with  it,  and  He  re- 
fused to  despair  of  success.  Most  significant  in  this  connection  are  the 
words  in  which  He  compared  the  multitude,  whose  spiritual  destitution 
moved  His  compassion,  to  an  abundant  harvest  waiting  to  be  reaped. 
The  comparison  implies  not  only  urgency,  but  susceptibility.  The 
grain  is  ready  to  be  reaped.  .  .  .  Doubtless  it  was  a  harvest  not 
visible  to  the  professional  religious  guides  of  Israel.  .  .  .  What 
was  apparent  to  them  was  merely  the  ignorance,  the  vice,  the  sordid 
misery  of  the  million  ;  not  a  harvest,  but  a  heap  of  rotting  weeds  ex- 
citing aversion.  The  harvest  existed  only  for  the  eye  of  faith  whose 
vision  was  sharpened  by  love.  Therein  precisely  lay  the  difference 
between  Jesus  and  the  Rabbis.  Where  they  saw  only  useless,  noxious 
rubbish,  He,  with  His  loving,  hopeful  spirit,  saw  useful  grain  ;  not 
mere  sin,  but  possibilities  of  good  ;  not  utter  hopeless  depravity,  but 
indefinite  capabilities  of  sanctity.  There  an  extensive  harvest  for  the 
kingdom  might  be  reaped,  in  the  conversion  of  profligates  into  devotees, 
of  moral  outcasts  into  exemplarv  citizens,  of  ignorant  men  into  attached 
disciples."  Bruce,  The  Kingdom  of  God. 


IAI 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  yesus  and  His  Apostle* 


STUDY  XVII.—  Jesus'  Conception  of  t&e  SDtetipl*  in  Ktlation  to 


FIRST  DAY:    JESUS'  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  DISCIPLE  AS 
LEARNING  His  TEACHING 

I  .  It  is  due  to  the  Jewish  environment  of  early  Christianity  that 
the  adherents  of  Jesus  are  called  "  disciples."  The  Jewish  Rabbis  had 
disciples,  and  the  adherents  of  Jesus  were  naturally  called  by  the  same 
title.  The  name  is  not  found  at  all  in  the  Epistles,  and  in  the  Gospels 
it  often  designates  the  Twelve  ;  but  through  the  influence  of  the  wider 
application  in  the  Gospels  —  particularly  in  Luke's  Gospel  —  and  in  the 
Acts,  it  has  become  a  part  of  the  permanent  vocabulary  of  the  Church. 

2.  Its  primary  meaning,  a  "learner,"  has  appealed  to  the  Chris- 
tian consciousness   as   a  permanently  appropriate  designation.      Jesua 
emphasized  this  aspect  of  discipleship.      He  was  ordinarily  addressed 
by  His  disciples  as  "Teacher"   (usually  translated  "  Master"),  and 
applied  the  title  to  Himself,  Matt.    23  :  8  ;   26  :  18  ;  John   13  :  13. 
The  word  very  frequently  used  to  designate   His  public  or   private 
speaking  is  the  word  "teach,"  e.g.,  Matt.  5  :  2. 

3.  His  disciples  were  those  from   whom  He  expected  a  long  and 
attentive  hearing.      Note  the  impressive  way  in  which  He  expressed 
this  idea  at  certain  critical   times,   Matt.    11:15;   !3  :9»  !6>  43  ; 
Luke  14:35.      Note  also  the  special  pains  He  took  to  instruct   the 
inner  circle  of  disciples,  Mark  4:  10,  II,  33,  34,  and  His  emphasis 
of  "  commandments,"  John  15  :  10.     His  great  rest-call  to  the  multi- 
tudes (Matt.  1  1  :  28-30)  was  in  the  phraseology  of  the  teaching  rabbi, 
though  it  required,  as  will  be  seen  later,  more  than  mere  listening  to 
instruction.      It  was  this  work  of  teaching   His   disciples  which  He 
found  Himself  for  evident  reasons  unable  to  complete,  John  16  :  12. 

Note  also  the  prominence  of  this  function  in  His  program  for  His 
Kingdom,  Matt.  28  :  19,  20.  Cf.  one  phrase  in  Acts  2  :  42. 

4.  It  is  a  happy  circumstance  that  the  Church  of  our  day,  in  obe- 
dience to  this  conception  of  discipleship,  is  turning  to  the  "  Teaching 
of  Jesus."      Books   bearing  this  title,  or  some  modification  of  it,  are 
appearing  in  great  numbers.      Perhaps  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when 
it  will  be  recognized  as  absurd  for  one  to  assume  the  role  of  a  "  dis- 
ciple "  and  make  no  effort  to  learn  the  teaching  of  his  Teacher. 


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STUDY  XVII. — JJefitta*  Conception  of  t&e  EHsciple  in  Eelation  to 

J)ima;el£ 

SECOND  DAY  :  JESUS'  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  DISCIPLE  IN  PER- 
SONAL ASSOCIATION  WITH  HIMSELF 

1 .  The  disciple  is  thought  of  not  simply  as  one  who  is  learning  that 
which  is  to  be  taught  by  spoken  or  written  words.      The  language  in 
which  Jesus  sometimes  invited  men  to  become  disciples  is  significant. 
See  for  instance  Matt.  9:9;  John  I  :  43.      The  expression  indicates, 
in  such  connection,  a  more  or  less  permanent  "accompanying."      It 
was  not  an  invitation  to  listen  to  lectures  at  certain  hours,  but  an  invi- 
tation to  personal  association.      Read  once  more  the  first  half  of  Mark 
3  :  14,  in  which  is  made  a  partial  statement  of  the  purpose  and  nature 
of  discipleship  in  the  case  of  the  Twelve.      Turn  again  to  Matt.  1 1  :  28- 
30,  noting  that,  although  verbal  teaching  is  doubtless  involved,  it  is 
nevertheless  His  own  personality  (v.  29)  that  is  cited  as  the  source  of 
rest. 

2 .  It  has  already  been  noted  in  the  study  of  Jesus'  consciousness, 
Study  VI,  Fourth  Day,  that  He  anticipated  spiritual  association  with 
His  disciples  after  His  disappearance  from  the  earth.      The  significance 
of  this  from  the  disciples'  standpoint  is  to  be  considered  here.      Con- 
ceive yourself  to  be  one  of  those  mentioned  in  Matt.  1 8  :  20  or  in  the 
last  clause  of  28  :  20.      The  Church  has,  probably  with  good  right, 
conceived  the  statements  made  to  the  Twelve  in  John  14-16  to  be 
applicable  to  all  disciples.      Note  there  in  such  sentences  as  14  :  23  ; 
15:5  the  permanent  personal  association  with  Himself  which  Jesus 
anticipated  for  the  disciples. 

3.  It  is  this  aspect  of  the  thought  of  Jesus  that  gives  such  force  to  the 
word  "  disciple  "  as  a  designation  of  the  Christian  of  to-day.      His 
discipleship  does  not  consist  in  such  admiring  study  of  the  extant  teach- 
ing of  his  Master  as  might  be  accorded  to  the  works  of  Confucius,  nor 
is  it  a  reverent  regard  for  His  memory.      There  is  a  present  personal 
contact  of  personalities.      The  influence  of  the  Teacher  is  experienced 
by   the  disciple  day  by  day  as   that   of  a  contemporary  personality. 
The  disciple  of  Jesus  is  one  who  is  learning  from  Jesus  to  be  a  true  son 
to  God  and  a  true  brother  to  his  fellow-men  ;  and  he  learns  this  not 
merely  from  Jesus'  teaching,  but  from  daily  association  with  the  per- 
sonality of  Jesus. 


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STUDY  XVII. — Jecitt*'  Conception  of  t&e  JDtsciple  in  Kelation  to 

ftouett 

THIRD  DAY  :  JESUS'  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  MUTUAL  LOVE  OF 
THE  DlSCIPLE  AND  HIS  LORD 

1 .  We  have  now  to  investigate  the  nature  of  this  close  relationship 
between  Jesus  and  His  disciple. 

Read  again  Matt.  10:  37-39  and  its  more  strenuous  parallel,  Luke 
14  125-33,  and  see  what  Jesus  expected  of  the  disciple.  The  Twelve 
were  such  inveterate  office-seekers  all  through  Jesus'  lifetime  (Luke 
22  :  24,  25)  that  it  is  not  easy  to  ascertain  to  what  extent  they  be- 
came personally  attached  to  Him.  There  is  one  touching  exhibition 
of  such  personal  attachment  on  the  part  of  a  member  of  the  group  who 
seems  to  have  been  among  the  more  stolid,  less  spiritually  alert  (John 
20  :  25),  but  perhaps  also  less  politically  ambitious,  members  of  the 
group.  Read  John  n  :  7-16. 

We  have  in  this  connection  a  glimpse  of  the  affection  with  which 
Jesus  was  regarded  in  the  Bethany  home,  John  1 1  :  1-3;  and  we  have 
a  suggestive  expression  of  Jesus'  hungry  appreciation  of  such  personal 
affection,  Mark  14  :  6-9. 

2.  There  is  no  doubt  about  Jesus'  devotion  to  His  disciples.      Read 
Matt.  I  2  :  46-50.      In  His  last  hours  He  seemed,  according  to  the 
Gospel  of  John,  to  cast  off  reserve  and  give  unrestrained  expression  to 
His  feelings.      Read  the  strong  language  in  John    15:9  and  try  to 
imagine  the  tone  and  the  look  with  which  He  said  what  is  recorded  in 
vv.    13-15.      He   felt  that   He  must  have  them  always  with  Him, 
17  :  24  ;    14  :  3.      It  is  evident  from    17  :  20  that  unborn  disciples 
were  included  in  His  thought.      It  is  not  strange  that  John,  remember- 
ing these  tender  last  hours,  should  preface  his  account  of  them  with  the 
statement  found  in  13:1  (marginal  reading). 

The  solicitude  for  His  disciples  expressed  in  John  18  :  8  is  sugges- 
tive in  this  connection,  as  is  the  speedy  message  to  them  after  the  resur- 
rection, John  20  :  17. 

The  representation  of  the  Synoptic  Gospels,  though  more  meagre,  is 
in  accord  with  that  of  John's  Gospel.  Note  the  readiness  to  share 
expressed  in  Luke  22  :  28-30,  and  the  solicitude  for  His  disciples  ex- 
pressed in  verses  31,  32.  See  also  the  broad,  affectionate  identification 
of  Himself  with  all  disciples  in  Matt.  25  :  35-40. 


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STUDY  XVII.  —  Jeetts*  Conception  of  t&e  SDisctpie  in  Kelation  to 


FOURTH   DAY  :  JESUS'  AMBITION  FOR  His  DISCIPLES 

I  .  In  Jesus'  conception  of  discipleship,  as  presented  in  the  Gospel 
of  John,  there  is  a  mutual  sharing  of  each  other  described  in  the  ex- 
pression "  abiding  in  Me,  and  I  in  him,"  John  15:5.  The  generos- 
ity of  Jesus'  deep  love  for  the  disciple  appears  in  what  He  proposes  to 
share  with  the  disciple.  Some  of  His  expressions  are  startling  in  the 
richness  of  the  expectations  they  arouse.  Read  John  15  :  1  1  .  He 
proposes  to  introduce  the  disciples  to  the  deep  sources  of  His  own  joy. 
Read  John  14:27,  remembering  the  unhurrying  peacefulness  and 
poise  in  Jesus'  busy  life. 

Men  in  general  like  a  place  a  little  above  that  of  their  fellows.  It 
is  their  own  pre-eminence  over  at  least  some  others  that  makes  their 
place  in  life  desirable  ;  but  read  John  14:2,  3  . 

Many  men  have  the  same  feeling  about  pre-eminence  in  achieve- 
ment ;  but  read  John  14:12. 

One  likes  to  think  of  his  own  mission  as  a  distinctive  thing  pecu- 
liarly his  own.  Read  John  20  :  21. 

His  vision  of  God  He  shared  with  them.     John  15:15;   17:6. 

Even  His  "glory,"  the  meaning  of  which  it  would  be  interesting 
to  stop  to  consider,  He  does  not  propose  to  possess  apart  from  the  dis- 
ciple. See  John  17  :  22. 

They  also  share  His  difficulties,  John  15  :  18-2  1  ;  and  His  victory 
over  them,  16  :  33. 

2.  All  these  come,  it  would  seem,  not  through  any  mechanical  im- 
partation  or  fiat  of  power,  but  through  the  intimate  personal  relation  of 
discipleship.  They  are  learned  from  Him.  A  deepening  acquaint- 
ance with  Jesus  brings  them  in  ever-enlarging  measure.  Evidently 
here  is  a  field  of  experience  in  the  realm  of  discipleship,  from  entrance 
into  which  Jesus  was  anxious  to  have  His  disciples  secure  large  results. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 

STUDY  XVII.— JJeatts'  Conception  of  t&e  SDteriple  in  Eeiation  to 

J)tm0elf 

FIFTH  DAY  :  THE  DISCIPLE  SHARING  HIS  MASTER'S  SELF- 
DENIAL 

1 .  Into  the  midst  of  disciples  fascinated  by  the  apparent  opportu- 
nity for  political  advancement  in  the  coming  Kingdom,  came  Jesus  with 
startling  words  about  a  cross  and  self-denial.      Read  Mark  8:  31-37. 
The  question   here  is,  What  is  it  for  a  disciple  "to  deny  himself"  ? 
Notice   that  the  disciple  is  called  to  "  come  after  "  his   Master  in  this 
matter.      It  is  an  instance  of  the  mutual  sharing  which  constitutes  the 
essence  of  discipleship.      The  answer  to  the  question,  then,  must  be 
gained  from  the  illustration  of  what  it  is  to  deny  one' s  self  afforded  by 
the  career  of  Jesus.      Think  of  the  meaning  of  the  words  to   "  deny 
one's  self."     How  did  Jesus  deny  His  own  "self"  ?      Did   it   in- 
volve the  obliteration   of  personal  characteristics,  the   sacrifice  of  His 
individuality  ?     Did  it  involve  the  sacrifice  of  His  own  personal  devel- 
opment ?     That  is,  Was  His  personality  less  in  any  way  than  it  would 
have  been  had  He  not  denied  Himself?     Study  the  context  in  making 
reply  to  these  questions. 

In  what  respect  would  you  amend  the  following  sentences  :  To 
deny  one's  self  is  to  deny  to  one's  self  the  right  to  the  supreme  place 
in  thought  and  action.  It  is  to  put  the  interests  of  other  "  selves" 
upon  a  level  with  those  of  one's  own  "  self." 

In  Jesus'  presentation  of  the  subject,  self-denial  seems  to  consist,  not 
so  much  in  specific  actions  to  be  performed  at  intervals,  as  in  a  funda- 
mental and  permanent  disposition.  In  all  one's  personal  habits  he 
does  not  content  himself  with  asking,  Will  this  practice  injure  me  ?  He 
asks  instantly  a  second  question,  What  would  be  the  effect  of  my  do- 
ing this  upon  others?  He  does  not  ignore  himself,  but  he  proposes  no 
longer  to  do  anything  solely  because  his  self  wants  it  done.  Compare 
the  homely  statement  of  Paul  in  Phil.  2  : 4. 

2.  What  are  the  consequences  of  the  denial  of  one's  self,  either  in 
the  case  of  Jesus  or  His  disciples,  as  stated  in  Mark  8  :  31-37  ? 

If  eternal  life  consists  in  eternal  friendships,  as  was  seen  to  be  the 
case  in  Study  XVI,  Fifth  Day,  then  the  fundamental  importance  of 
self-denial  is  evident,  for  no  man  is  capable  of  an  eternal  friendship 
who  does  not  deny  himself.  What  light,  if  any,  does  this  thought 
throw  on  the  intensity  with  which  Jesus  repelled  Peter's  suggestion 
(v.  33)  ? 

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STUDY  XVII.  —  3e0ttfi'  Conception  of  t&e  SDisciple  in  Relation  to 


SIXTH  DAY:    THE  DISCIPLE  SHARING  HIS  MASTER'S  REST 

1.  One  of  the  most  fundamentally  important  phases  of  the  disciple's 
relation  to  Jesus  is  described  in  a  passage  already  several  times  noted  in 
other  connections,   Matt.   1  1  :  28-30.      Read  it  again  slowly  and  with 
the  effort  to  determine  the  meaning  of  every  word  as  you  read.      The 
questions  that  arise  are,  What  does  Jesus  mean  by  "  rest  "  ?  and,  How 
does  the  disciple  secure  it  ? 

2.  Is  rest  inactivity  ?     Notice  that  Jesus  does  not  discard  the  phrase- 
ology of  toil,    "yoke,"  "burden"  (v.  30).      He  seems  to  have  in 
mind  an  easy  way  to  wear  a  yoke,  and  a  way  of  bearing  a  burden  that 
will  not  prove  burdensome.     He  appeals  to  His  own  example  (v.  29), 
and  certainly  His  was  not  an  inactive  life. 

Is  rest  a  result  of  the  ability  to  gratify  all  of  one's  desires  ?  Is  it  im- 
munity from  difficulties  and  annoyances  ?  Consider  here  again  the 
career  of  Jesus.  How  then  would  you  define  "rest"  ? 

3.  What  is  Jesus'  recipe  for  rest  ?     The  secret  of  rest  is  evidently 
to  be  learned  in  the  sphere  of  discipleship.      According  to  v.  29  what 
is  it  that  a  disciple  must  "  learn  "  from  Jesus  in  order  that  he  may  have 
rest?     In  what  did  Jesus'  "meekness"  and   "lowliness  of  heart" 
consist  ?      Did  they  involve  an  under-estimate  of  Himself? 

4.  Consider  the  relation  of  pride  to  unrest.      The  chief  occasion  of 
our  unrest  is  the  fact  that  others  have  better  things,  greater  honors, 
higher  social  position,  more  consideration  shown  them  than  we  have. 
This  fact  has  power  to  affect  us  solely  because  we  are  proud.      We  are 
chagrined  that  we  cannot  fill  a  larger  place,  and  are  kept  from  doing 
our  best  in  the  place  we  can  fill  ;  or  we  strain  ourselves  trying  to  get 
out  of  our  present  place,  instead  of  quietly  outgrowing  it,  because  we 
are  proud.      We  are  sensitive,  "touchy,"  easily  slighted;  we  chafe, 
fret,  worry,  fear  that  we  shall   be  seen,  to  fail,  shrink  from  meeting 
strangers,  and  anxiously  forebode  blunders,  chiefly  because  of  our  pride. 
Imagine  Jesus  to  have  been  affected  by  these  things  ! 

Through  the  disciple's  intimate  association  with  Jesus,  he  learns  to 
lay  aside  pride,  to  rejoice  in  the  successes  of  others,  and  to  accept  sim- 
ply and  thankfully  such  opportunities  for  service  as  the  day  brings. 

5.  The  word  "  learn  "  implies  that  the  secret  of  rest  is  not  imparted 
in  a  moment.     To  "  learn"  it  requires  time  and  persistent  association 

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with  Jesus.      He  must  have  the  daily  companionship  and  attention  of 
His  disciples  in  order  to  communicate  His  rest. 

Daily  life  with  its  multitude  of  perplexities,  difficulties,  failures,  dis- 
tractions, is  what  Jesus  had  in  mind  when  he  issued  His  great  rest-call. 
He  apparently  did  not  propose  to  alter  the  disciple's  surroundings,  but 
to  teach  him  rest  just  where  he  was. 

"  O  Master,  let  me  walk  with  Thee 
In  lowly  paths  of  service  free  ; 
Tell  me  Thy  secret ;  help  me  bear 
The  strain  of  toil,  the  fret  of  care. 

"  Help  me  the  slow  of  heart  to  move 
By  some  clear  winning  word  of  love  j 
Teach  me  the  wayward  feet  to  stay, 
And  guide  them  in  the  homeward  way. 

"Teach  me  Thy  patience  5  still  with  Thee 
In  closer,  dearer  company, 
In  work  that  keeps  faith  sweet  and  strong, 
In  trust  that  triumphs  over  wrong  5 

"  In  hope  that  sends  a  shining  ray 

Far  down  the  Future's  broadening  way, 
In  peace  that  only  Thou  canst  give, 
With  thee,  O  Master,  let  me  live  !  " 

Washington  Gladden, 


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STUDY  XVII.— f  ecu*'  Conception  of  t&e  SDwdple  in  Eeiation  to 

jbtmcclf 

SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

Gather  up  the  main  points  of  the  week's  study,  and  put  them  into 
compact  and  definite  form.  What  is  "  discipleship  "  in  the  thought  of 
Jesus  ?  What  are  the  disciple  and  his  Master  to  each  other  ?  What 
have  they  in  common  ?  What  are  the  advantages  of  discipleship  to  the 
disciple  ?  What  would  Jesus  consider  to  constitute  the  success  of  a 
disciple,  as  far  as  the  study  of  this  week  has  revealed  His  thought  ? 

**  Yes,  for  me,  for  me  He  careth 

With  a  brother's  tender  care  j 
Yes,  with  me,  with  me  He  shareth 

Every  burden,  every  fear. 
Yes,  o'er  me,  o'er  me  He  watcheth, 

Ceaseless  watcheth,  night  and  day  : 
Yes,  ev'n  me,  ev'n  me  He  snatcheth 

From  the  perils  of  the  way. 

•'  Yes,  for  me  He  standeth  pleading, 

At  the  mercy-seat  above  j 
Ever  for  me  interceding, 

Constant  in  untiring  love. 
Yes,  in  me  abroad  He  sheddeth 

Joys  unearthly,  love  and  light  j 
And  to  cover  me  He  spreadeth 

His  paternal  wing  of  might  ! 

"  Yes,  in  me,  in  me  He  dwelleth ; 

I  in  Him,  and  He  in  me  ! 
And  my  empty  soul  He  filleth, 

Here  and  through  eternity  ! 
Thus  I  wait  for  His  returning, 

Singing  all  the  way  to  heaven  : 
Such  the  joyful  song  of  morning, 
Such  the  tranquil  song  of  even." 

Horatius  Bonar. 


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STUDY  XVIII. — Jesus'  Conception  of  t&e  £>igdple  as  a  ^>on  of 
tfce  If) cabenlp  jFat&er 

FIRST  DAY  :  THE  DISCIPLE  A  SON  OF  GOD 

1.  As  was  seen  in   Part  I,  Jesus  conceived  His  mission  to  be,  in 
part  at  least,  the  revealing  of  God  as  the  Father  and  the  attaching  of 
men  to  Himself  as  such   a   revelation.      We  need  now  to  see  clearly 
that  in  the  close  intimacy  between  Himself  and  His  disciples,  which 
constituted  the   theme   of  last  week's  study,  this  bringing  of  men  to 
God   is  accomplished.      The  prominent  feature  of  the  disciple's  rela- 
tion  to  Jesus  was  seen  to  be  Jesus'  disposition  to  share  what  He  had 
with  the  disciple.     John,  in  whose  presentation  this  feature  is  so  prom- 
inent, himself  emphasized  the  fact  that  this  involved  for  the  disciple  a 
share  in  the  filial  relation  of  Jesus  to  His  Heavenly  Father.      Read  John 
i  :  12.      Does  this  sharing  of  His  Sonship  with  the  disciple  preclude 
any  uniqueness  of  filial  relationship  to  God  on  the  part  of  Jesus  ?     Is 
He  in  any  essential  particular  different  from  any  of  the  other  sons  of 
God  ?     On  this  point  see  in  the  Synoptic  presentation  Matt.  1 1  :  27; 
and  in  John's  Gospel  note  i  :  18;   3:13;    14:  6,  9;  and  any  other 
passages  that  occur  to  you. 

2.  Turn  again  to  the  last  clause  of  John  20  :  17,  and  note  the  vivid 
way  in  which  this  truth   of  sonship   by  virtue  of  discipleship  is   pre- 
sented.     It  is  the  truth  that  is  uppermost  in  His  mind  as  He  comes 
freshly  from  His  victory  over  death.      It  is  as  though  He  stood  for  a 
moment  with  one  arm  about  the  disciple,  pointing  upward  and  trying, 
in   the  quiet  enthusiasm  of  His  victory  over  death,  to  arouse   the  dis- 
ciple's   slow  apprehension  by  putting   the  great  truth  in  its  simplest 
form  :    "  My  Father,  your  Father  !." 

In  the  Synoptic  presentation,   Matt.    28  :  10,    note  the  one  word 
that  involves  this  thought  of  common  sonship. 

3 .  The  more  fundamental  question  arises,  What  is  it  to  be  a  son  of 
God  ?     It  would  seem  that  there  must  be  the  basis  for  a  filial  relation- 
ship in  the  very  nature  of  man.      A  dog  is  a  kind  of  creation  that  does 
not  have  it  in  him  to  be  a  son  of  God,  while  man  is  made  in  the  image 
of  God.      This  suggestion  of  sonship  in  man's   very  nature  is  of  no 
avail  unless  there  be  a  real  recognition  of  God  as  a  Father.      The  man 
must  really  be  such  a  son  as  a  Father  like  God  ought  to  have.      This 
phase  of  the  subject  will  be  taken  up  to-morrow. 


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STUDY  XVIII.—  Jeatta'  Conception  of  t&e  £>iaciple  as  a  £>on  of 
t&e  |)eatoenl|>  jFat&er 

SECOND  DAY  :  THE  DISCIPLE'S  SPIRITUAL  RESEMBLANCE  TO 
HIS  HEAVENLY  FATHER 

1.  Jesus  made  earnest  with  this  great  conception  of  the  disciple  as  a 
son  of  the  Heavenly  Father.      To  Him  the  words  were  no  mere  title,  but 
the  expression  of  a  great  reality.      His  conception  of  the  disciple  in- 
volved  a  real  and  growing  resemblance  on  the  part  of  the  disciple  to 
God,  which  would  make  it  proper  to  call  him  a  son  of  the  Heavenly 
Father.      There  was,  at  least  to  His  discerning  eye,  some  evidence  of 
kinship.     The  assumption  underlying  the  spirited  conversation  reported 
in  John   8:31  -47   seems  to  be  that  similarity  of  character  constitutes 
spiritual  kinship.      Read  the  passage.     Jesus  anticipates  for  His  dis- 
ciples such  growth  in  "truth,"  or  "righteousness,"  through  associa- 
tion with  Himself  (v.  31)  as  will  make  them  like  in  character  to  His 
Father,  who  has  just  been  described  as  a  "true  "  God  (v.  26).      As 
a  result  of  such  likeness  of  character  they  will  be  entitled  to  be  called 
free  "  sons  "  in  God's  household   (vv.  32-36).      Those  with  whom 
He  is   conversing  have  no  such  likeness  in  character  to  Abraham  as 
entitles  them  to  be  called  "  children  of  Abraham  "  '(v.  39).      They 
suggest  the  Old  Testament  thought,  that  they  belong  to  a  nation  whose 
Father  is  God  ;  and  that  they  are  not  the  children  of  ancestors  who 
were  idolatrous  and  so  faithless  to  the  marriage  covenant  of  Jehovah 
and  His  people   (v.  41).     Jesus  says  that  they  have  no  likeness  in 
character  to  God,  and  so  cannot  call  themselves  His  children  (vv.  42, 
43,  47).      In  their  desire  to  kill  Him  (v.  40)  and  in  their  aversion 
to   truth  they  show  a  likeness  in  character  to  the  devil,  who  at  his 
first  appearance  in  the  garden  of  Eden  iiad  a  lie  on  his  lips  and  mur- 
derously occasioned  the  death  of  Adam  (v.  44  ;  cf.  Gen.  3  :  3,  4). 

2.  In  what  fundamental  feature  of  character  did  Jesus  expect  His 
disciples  so  to  resemble  their  Father  as  to  justify  their  title  ?     Read 
carefully   Luke    6:35,  36    and    the    entire    paragraph,    vv.    27-38. 
Compare  also  the  parallel  passage,  Matt.  5  :  43-48. 

Read  also  Matt.  5  :  3-12,  some  parts  of  which  seem  to  be  descrip- 
tive of  the  ideal  disciple ;  and  see  whether  they  represent  points  of  re- 
semblance to  God. 


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STUDY  XVIII.— Jean*'  Conception  of  t&e  Disciple  act  a  &on  of 
t&e  })eatoenlp  latter 

THIRD  DAY  :  THE  DISCIPLE  A  FORGIVEN  AND  WELL-BE- 
LOVED SON  OF  THE  HEAVENLY  FATHER 

1.  There  is  one  feature  of  the  disciple's  relation  to  his  Heavenly 
Father  that  gives  it  a  peculiar  tenderness,  namely,  his  Father's  forgive- 
ness.     Read  Matt.  9  :  2-6  to  see  Jesus'  idea  of  the  prominence  of  this 
feeling  in  the  disciple's  consciousness.      Read  also  Luke  7  :  36-50. 

Read  once  more,  for  light  upon  this  point,  Luke  15  :  18-24,  tr7' 
ing  to  imagine  yourself  to  be  the  returning  son  during  the  days  of  re- 
flection on  the  homeward  journey  and  at  the  time  of  his  arrival.  Con- 
sider also  what  must  have  been  his  thoughts  during  his  subsequent  life 
at  home,  as  he  looked  back  upon  his  past  career. 

Consider  for  a  few  moments  only,  since  the  subject  will  come  up 
again,  what  forgiveness  really  is. 

2.  The  affection  of  Jesus  for  His  disciples,  portrayed  in  last  week's 
study,  is  really  the  love  of  God  revealed  in  Him.      Notice  in  addition 
the  explicit  statements  of  Jesus  regarding  the  Father's  love  for  the  dis- 
ciple.   Sum  up  the  thought  of  John  14  :  21-23;   J6  '•  26,  27;   17  :  23. 

3.  There  are  certain  moods  or  phases  of  the  soul's  life  which  noth- 
ing will  satisfy  but  the  thought  of  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ  for  His  dis- 
ciple.     Certain  other  phases  of  its  deep  need  are  met  only  by  the  con- 
sciousness of  the  love  of  an  infinite  Fatherly  Spirit,  lying  back  of  all 
objective  manifestation,  to  which  the  human  heart  may  utter  all  its  cry. 
It  is  this  resource  that  is  opened  by  Jesus  to  the  forgiven  child  of  the 
Heavenly  Father. 

"  My  God,  how  wonderful  thou  art, 

Thy  majesty  how  bright  ! 
How  glorious  is  thy  mercy-seat, 

In  depths  of  burning  light  ! 
"  Yet  I  may  love  thee  too,  O  Lord 

Almighty  as  thou  art  j 
For  thou  hast  stooped  to  ask  of  me 

The  love  of  my  poor  heart. 
"  No  earthly  father  loves  like  thee, 

No  mother  half  so  mild 
Bears  and  forbears,  as  thou  hast  done 

With  me,  thy  sinful  child. 
"  My  God,  how  wonderful  thou  art, 

Thou  everlasting  Friend  ! 
On  thee  I  stay  my  trusting  heart 

Till  faith  in  vision  end." — Frederick  William  Faber 

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STUDY  XVIII.  —  JJefittfi'  Conception  of  tlje  £H0tipie  a*  a  H>on  of 
t&e  J)eatoenlp  Jat&et 

FOURTH  DAY:    THE  DISCIPLE   CARED  FOR  AND  KEPT  BY 
HIS  HEAVENLY  FATHER 

i  .  Jesus,  with  His  clear,  unwavering  sense  of  the  Father  in  Himself, 
promised  to  the  disciple  also  a  sense  of  the  Fatherly  presence.  Read 
John  14  :  23  and  note  the  special  emphasis  which  Jesus  lays  on  this 
statement  as  a  message  from  the  invisible  world  forth  from  which  He 
came  (v.  24). 

In  the  Synoptic  Gospels  the  same  thought  is  presented  in  another 
connection.  See  Matt.  6:6,  1  8. 

2.  Note  the  extent  to  which  this  Fatherly  presence  is  represented  by 
Jesus  as  minutely  concerned  with  the  details  of  the  disciple's  life.      See 
Matt.  10  :  30,  31  ;  6  :  25.      What  is  the  argument  in  the  last  clause 
of  v.  25  ?     Read  also  vv.  31,  32,  remembering  that  Jesus  speaks  to 
His  disciples  here  authoritatively.      What  is  the  force  of"  therefore" 
in  v.  34  ? 

3.  Trace  the  idea  of  watchfulness  and  keeping  in  John  10  :  27-31. 
What  is  meant  here  by  "snatch  them  out  of  the  Father's  hand"  ? 
What  is  the  fact  behind  the  figure  here?     Read  also   17  :  n,   12. 
"  Keep  them  "  where  and  from  what  ? 

4.  The  disciple  has  depths  in  his  being,  rudimentary  as  human  per- 
sonality may  be,  that  reach  far  down  into  the  being  of  the  Eternal  and 
Perfect   Personality.      In  these  secret   places  he   touches  the  Eternal 
Father  and  the  divine  life  wells  up  in  him. 

«  Still,  still  with  thee,  my  God, 

I  would  desire  to  be  ; 
By  day,  by  night,  at  home,  abroad, 
I  would  be  still  with  thee." 

"  With  thee  amid  the  crowd 

That  throngs  the  busy  mart, 
To  hear  thy  voice,  'mid  clamor  loud, 
Speak  softly  to  my  heart. 

"  With  thee,  when  day  is  done, 

And  evening  calms  the  mind, 
The  setting,  as  the  rising  sun, 
With  thee  my  heart  would  find. 

"  With  thee,  in  thee,  by  faith 

Abiding  I  would  be  j 
By  day,  by  night,  in  life,  in  death, 
I  would  be  still  with  thee."  —  James  Drummond  Burns. 

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STUDY  XVIII.  —  %t&n&'  Conception  of  t&e  SDteciple  as  a  IS>on  of 
t&e  |)eatoenlp  father 

FIFTH  DAY  :  THE  DISCIPLE  IN  HIS  FATHER'S  WORLD 

1.  One  of  the  striking  characteristics  of  Jesus,  which  He  also  evi- 
dently aimed  to  reproduce  in  the  disciple,  was  such  an  appreciation  of 
nature  as  is  possible  only  to  one  who  has  found  in  God  a  real  Father. 
There  are  some  indications  that  it  was  Jesus'  habit  to  climb  to  retired 
hilltops  for  prayer,  and  sometimes  to  spend  the  night  there,  e.g..  Matt. 
14  :  23-25  ;  Luke  9  :  28  (cf.  vv.  32,  37).      Very  probably  this  in- 
dicates an   appreciation  of  nature  as  an  aid  to  communion  with  His 
Father,  or  at  least  as  congenial  to  His  prayerful  mood. 

2.  Many  of  His  illustrations  were  drawn  from  nature.      Examine 
the  following  passages,  noting  whatever  in  any  of  them  indicates  that 
Jesus  connected  God  with  the  processes  of  nature  alluded  to  :   Matt. 
7:16;  the  double  reference  in  Matt.  13:4;  also  13  :  25,  31,  43  ; 
Mark  4  :  26-32  ;  Luke  I  2  :  1  6,  1  8  ;  I  3  :  6  ;  John  15:1. 

Read  Matt.  6  :  26-30,  noting  that  here  He  endeavors  to  make  His 
disciples  feel  that  their  Father  is  at  work  in  nature.  Read  also  John 
5:17.  Where  has  God  been  "working"  ? 

3.  The    son  of  the    Heavenly   Father    is    able    to    regard  all  the 
manifold  forms  of  life  as  his  possession,  in  that  they  are  the  work  of  his 
Heavenly  Father.      Whatever  be  his  theory  of  creation,  he  is  able  to 
see  in  them  the  product  of  his  Heavenly  Father's  thought  and  the 
expression  of  his  Heavenly  Father's  aesthetic  sense.      They  speak  to 
him,  the  son  of  their  Creator,  an  inspiring  message. 

"  Oh,  who  is  like  the  Mighty  One, 

Whose  throne  is  in  the  sky  ! 
Who  compasseth  the  universe 

With  his  all-searching  eye  ; 
At  whose  creative  word  appeared 

The  dry  land  and  the  sea  : 
My  spirit  thirsts  for  thee,  O  Lord, 

My  spirit  thirsts  for  thee  ! 

"  Yes  !     Though  unlimited  his  works, 

His  power  upholds  them  all  5 
He  clothes  the  lilies  of  the  field, 
And  marks  the  sparrow's  fall  : 
Who  listens  to  the  raven's  cry, 

Will  bend  his  ear  to  me  ; 
My  spirit  thirsts  for  thee,  O  Lord, 
My  spirit  thirsts  for  thee  !  " 

David  M.  Moir. 

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STUDY  XVIII.  —  JJwro*'  Conception  of  t&e  £)iatiple  as  a  H>on  of 
t&e  j)eatoenlp  latter 

SIXTH    DAY  :    THE    DISCIPLE    EXPECTING     HIS    FATHER'S 

KINGDOM 

1.  As  was    seen  in  Study  III,  Jesus  conceived    the    Kingdom  of 
God  to  be  both  a  present  reality  and  a  future  expectation.      The  respon- 
sibility of  the  disciple  as  a  son  of  God  in  his  Father's  present  Kingdom 
will  be  considered  soon.      It  is  in  place  here  to  recognize  in  general 
the  significance  of  the  fact  that  the  Kingdom  is  his  Father*  sy  and  that, 
by  virtue  of  its  being  his  Father's,  great  expectations  are  warranted  as 
he  looks  forward  to  its  future  developments.      The  details  of  this  ex- 
pectation, so  far  as  they  are  discoverable,  will  be  considered  in  Part  IV. 

As  a  general  statement  read  Luke  12  :  32-34.  The  language  de- 
scribes the  situation  of  a  man  who  has  been  promised  something  of  such 
transcendent  value  that  he  straightway  discards  the  lesser  values,  and 
prepares  with  all  eagerness  to  possess  the  greater. 

The  eager  solicitude  with  which  he  concentrates  attention  and  ex- 
pectation upon  this  anticipated  good  is  further  illustrated  by  a  situation 
that  appealed  with  particular  force  to  the  Oriental  mind,  namely,  servants 
watching  for  their  master's  return  from  a  marriage  feast.  Read  care- 
fully vv.  35-38,  compelling  your  imagination  to  reproduce  the  scene 
described.  In  vv.  39,  40,  under  another  figure,  the  necessity  for 
steadiness  of  expectation  is  enforced. 

2.  In  Matt.  25  :  34-40  the  Kingdom  is   referred   to   as   a  future 
blessedness  which  they  as  the  Father's  children  are  to  possess.      This 
same  experience  is  held  before  them  by  Jesus  in  Matt.   13  :  43. 

3.  There   is  much  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus  regarding  the  present 
privileges  and  responsibilities  of  the  sons  of  God,  but  there  is  also  full 
recognition  made  of  the  strong  instinct  in  human  nature  to  anticipate, 
and  of  the  consequent  need  of  something  to  hope  for. 


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STUDY  XVIII.  —  5e6ttfl!>  Conception  of  t&e  Disnplc  a0  a  H>on  of 
t|jc  |)eatoenlp  father 

SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

Review  the  work  of  the  week,  determining  in  what  sense  Jesus  con- 
ceived the  disciple  to  be  a  son  of  God  ;  what  He  conceived  to  be  God's 
feeling  toward  the  disciple  ;  what  kind  of  sons  a  Father  like  God  ought 
to  have  ;  with  what  consciousness  a  son  of  God  ought  to  go  about 
among  men  ;  and  what  hopes  he  may  cherish. 

"  Father,  I  know  that  all  my  life 

Is  portioned  out  for  me  ; 
The  changes  that  will  surely  come 

I  do  not  fear  to  see  : 
I  ask  thee  for  a  present  mind, 

Intent  on  pleasing  thee. 

"  I  would  not  have  the  restless  will 

That  hurries  to  and  fro, 
That  seeks  for  some  great  thing  to  do, 

Or  secret  thing  to  know  : 
I  would  be  treated  as  a  child, 
And  guided  where  I  go. 

"  I  ask  thee  for  the  daily  strength, 

To  none  that  ask  denied, 
A  mind  to  blend  with  outward  life, 

While  keeping  at  thy  side  ; 
Content  to  fill  a  little  space, 

If  thou  be  glorified. 

"  And  if  some  things  I  do  not  ask 

Among  my  blessings  be, 
I'd  have  my  spirit  filled  the  more 

With  grateful  love  to  thee  ; 
More  careful  —  not  to  serve  thee  much, 
But  please  thee  perfectly." 

Anna  L.  Waring. 


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STUDY  XIX. — *JSe&n6'  Conception  of  t&e  SDisciple  in  fjia  Kelation 
to  tljc  |)olp  Spirit 

FIRST  DAY  :  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  IN  THE  LIFE  OF  JESUS 

1.  The    teaching    of  Jesus  regarding  the    Holy  Spirit  is  properly 
studied  in  connection  with  the  discussion  of  the  disciple,  for  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  spoken  of  by  Jesus  almost  always  in  connection  with  the  life  of 
the  disciple.      See  for  instance  John  14  :  16,   17.      Before  the  teaching 
of  Jesus  on  this  subject  is  considered,  it  is  in  place  to  take  a  brief  pre- 
liminary survey  of  statements  made  in  the  Gospels  regarding  the  con- 
nection of  the  Holy  Spirit  with  the  person  and  life  of  Jesus  Himself. 

2.  Consider  first  the  Synoptic  presentation.      The  Spirit  first  ap- 
pears in  the  description  of  the  baptism  of  Jesus.      Read  Matt.  3  :  16. 
How  did  the  authors  of  the  Synoptic  Gospels,  or  anyone  else,  know 
that  this  dove-form  was  a  manifestation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  ?      Compare 
the  representation  made  in  John's  Gospel  I  :  32,  33.      Is  there  any 
way  of  ascertaining  the  effect  of  this  experience  upon  the  personality  of 
Jesus  ?      Read    Matt.    4  :  I    and  compare   the  stronger  expression  in 
Mark    1:12.      How  was  it  known  that  the  Spirit  impelled  Jesus  to 
spend  these  six  weeks  in  the  wilderness  ? 

There  would  seem  to  be  but  one  source  from  which  information  re- 
garding the  entire  period  described  in  Matt.  4  :  I  - 1 1  could  emanate. 
Perhaps  Jesus  talked  with  His  disciples  more  freely  than  we  have  imag- 
ined regarding  His  own  experiences. 

3.  In   Luke's    Gospel  the   references   to   the  Holy  Spirit  are  more 
frequent  than  in  the  other  two  Synoptic  Gospels.      See  in  Luke  4:14 
Luke's  peculiar   description  of  Jesus  as  He  entered   Galilee,  and  note 
the  first  phrase  of  the  passage,  peculiar  to  Luke,  in  which  Jesus  de- 
scribes His  sense  of  mission,  Luke  4  :  17-21. 

Matt.  12  :  28  contains  a  suggestion  of  Jesus'  thought  about  the  con- 
nection of  the  Holy  Spirit  with  His  activity.  A  parallel  passage  in 
Luke  1 1  :  20  replaces  the  expression  by  another,  and  it  is  omitted  in 
Mark  3  :  23-27,  though  really  implied  in  w.  28-30. 

In  another  passage,  peculiar  to  Luke,  Jesus'  exhilaration  of  spirit  is 
attributed  to  the  Holy  Spirit.  See  Luke  10  :  21. 

4.  In  John's  Gospel  either  the  author  or  John  the  Baptist  speaks  of 
the  Spirit's  connection  with  the  life  of  Jesus  in  3  :  34. 

Make  a  statement  which  shall  sum  up,  as  well  as  possible,  your  con- 
ception of  the  relation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  the  person  and  life  of  Jesus, 
so  far  as  these  passages  indicate  it. 

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STUDY  XIX.  —  JJegus'  Conception  of  tlje  £)t0ciple  in  \v&  Eelation 
to  t&e  J)oip  Spirit 

SECOND  DAY  :  THE  PERSONALITY  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 

I  .  The  question  that  arises  next  is,  Did  Jesus  conceive  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  be  a  person  ?  The  word  "  person  "  in  this  connection  is  of 
necessity  somewhat  vague,  for  even  human  personality,  in  the  bodily 
form  in  which  we  see  it,  is  as  yet  but  very  imperfectly  denned.  The 
vagueness  increases  when  we  enter  the  field  of  bodiless  and  divine  per- 
sonality. That  which  is  most  certainly  connoted  by  the  word  "  per- 
son "  in  our  experience  of  personality  is  the  power  to  purpose,  think, 
and  love  ;  and  it  is  comparatively  easy  to  determine  whether  Jesus 
thought  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  being  in  this  sense  a  personal  existence. 

See  whether  the  functions  ascribed  by  Jesus  in  various  places  to  the 
Holy  Spirit  are  those  of  personal  existence  ;  of  impersonal  existence  ; 
or  whether  the  language  used  in  certain  cases  might  indicate  either.  If 
there  be  cases  in  which  the  personality  of  the  Spirit  is  assumed,  inquire 
whether  the  personality  is  distinguishable  from  that  which  Jesus  desig- 
nates as  the  ««  Father." 

2.  Examine  first  the  Synoptic  Gospels,  keeping  in  mind  for  the 
present  only  the  point  of  personality  as  stated  above. 

Consider  first  Luke  4:18,  and  then  Matt.  12  ;  28.  Note  with 
particular  care  Matt.  12:31,  32.  Consider  whether  the  word 
"blaspheme"  necessarily  implies  personality  as  its  object,  and  whether 
the  comparison  of  the  Spirit  with  the  personal  Son  of  Man  and  the  per- 
sonal Satan  (vv.  24,  26,  32)  implies  the  personality  of  the  Spirit. 
Cf  Mark  3  :  29,  30. 

Consider  the  expression  in  Mark  13  :  1  1  ,  but  notice  the  parallel  in 
Luke  21  114,  15  and  a  similar  statement  in  Matt.  10  :  20.  Is  the 
"  Spirit  of  the  Father  "  the  same  as  the  "  Father  "  ?  Notice  carefully 
Luke  12  :  1  1,  12.  Does  Luke  11:13  throw  any  light  on  the  point  ? 

Some  of  the  passages  cited  above  are  not  decisive,  but  others  seem 
explicitly  to  assert  personality,  as  Luke  12:  12,  which  alludes  to  the 
Spirit  as  "teaching."  Note  carefully  the  important  passage,  Matt. 
28  :  19,  20,  in  which  the  Holy  Spirit  evidently  is  not  identical  with 
the  Father,  and  is  clearly  regarded  as  a  person. 


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STUDY  XIX.  —  JJeattfli'  Conception  of  tlje  Disciple  tn  (jig  Belatton 
to  t&e  J)olp  Spirit 

THIRD    DAY  :    THE    PERSONALITY    OF   THE    HOLY    SPIRIT 
(CONCLUDED) 

1.  Examine  to-day  the  teaching  of  Jesus  regarding  the  personality  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  as  it  is  recorded  in  the  Gospel  of  John.      Read  again 
the  first  paragraph  of  yesterday's  study,  in  order  to  get  the  problem 
freshly  before  you. 

The  most  explicit  statements  here,  as  upon  other  fundamental  sub- 
jects already  studied,  are  found  in  the  record  of  Jesus'  last  few  hours 
with  His  disciples.  Read  14  :  16,  17,  giving  attention  for  the  pres- 
ent simply  to  the  question  of  personality.  "Another"  in  addition  to, 
or  in  place  of,  whom  or  what  ?  That  is,  Is  the  one  whose  place  is 
taken  or  supplemented  by  the  Holy  Spirit  a  person  ?  Consider  other 
evidences  of  personality  in  this  statement.  Read  vv.  18-23,  and  con- 
sider whether  Jesus  thinks  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  simply  His  own  spiritual 
presence.  What  is  the  evidence  in  14  :  26  regarding  the  personality 
of  the  Spirit  ?  Read  15  :  26,  noting  with  special  care  its  bearing 
upon  the  question  of  the  identity  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  spiritual 
presence  of  Jesus  or  the  Father.  Are  they  the  same  ?  See  also  16:7. 
Notice  the  personal  function  described  in  16:13,  14. 

2.  It  has  become  evident  that  in  Jesus'  mind  the  personality  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  one  of  great  dignity.      Recall  what  is  said  of  blasphemy 
against  Him  in   Mark  3  :  28-30,  and  remember  the  combination  of 
names  in  Matt.  28  :  19.      Note  also  here  in  John,  for  instance  15  :  26, 
the  sphere  of  existence  in  which  Jesus  represents  Him  to  move. 

The  metaphysical  relationship  existing  between  the  Father,  the  Son, 
and  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  question  of  their  combination  into  the 
unity  we  designate  as  God,  are  not  discussed  by  Jesus  here.  These 
statements  made  by  Him  constitute  a  large  part  of  the  data  on  the  basis 
of  which  theological  thinkers  have  legitimately,  but  with  only  partial 
success,  endeavored  to  construct  a  satisfactory  theory.  We  can  recog- 
nize the  facts  and  wait  patiently  for  their  explanation. 

3  .  The  character  of  the  personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit  may  be  briefly 
noted  in  preparation  for  further  study.  Three  words  are  used  of  Him  : 
"Holy,"  "Truth,"  "Comforter"  or  "Helper,"  14:16,  17, 
26.  Reflect  upon  these  words  as  indications  of  His  personal  character. 


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STUDY  XIX. — ;f  earns*  Conception  of  t&e  ^Disciple  in  \\*  Kelatton 
to  t&c  bol.P  Spirit 

FOURTH   DAY  :   THE   DISCIPLE   IN  ASSOCIATION  WITH  THE 
HOLY  SPIRIT 

1 .  We  have  seen  that  to  Jesus'  mind  discipleship  involved  a  mutual 
sharing  on  the  part  of  the  Master  and  His  disciple  ;  and  that  Jesus 
proposed,  with  a  divine  and  startling  generosity,  to  share  what  He  had 
with  the  disciple  (Study  XVII,  Fourth  Day).      It  has  been  seen  this 
week  in  the  Study  of  the  First  Day,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was  in  some 
way  associated  with  the  personality  of  Jesus,  and  that  to  this  association 
were  attributed  the  manifestations  of  grace  and  power  in  the  life  of 
Jesus.      It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  Jesus  should  be  found  propos- 
ing to  admit  His  disciple  also  into  this  fellowship  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Note  the  evidence  that  it  is  Jesus  to  whom  the  disciple  is  indebted 
for  this  privilege.  See  John  the  Baptist's  expectation,  Matt.  3:11; 
and  Jesus'  agreement  with  it,  John  I  5  :  26  ;  16  :  7  ;  20  :  22.  An- 
other representation  is  made  in  Luke  1 1  :  13,  but  the  two  are  combined 
in  Luke  24  :  49  ;  John  14  :  16,  26. 

2.  Since  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a  person,  it  necessarily  follows  that  the 
disciple's  connection  with  Him  if  in  the  form  of  personal  association. 
What  previous  form  of  personal  association  does  Jesus  represent  Him  to 
be  about  to  continue  ?    John  14  :  16,  25,  26  ;    16  :  12,  13.     In  view 
of  these  words  what  conception  of  the  new  relationship  would  the  disci- 
ples naturally  form  ? 

In  accordance  with  the  laws  of  personal  association  certain  results 
naturally  follow  intimate  association  between  two  persons.  In  general 
what  will  be  the  result,  in  the  character  of  the  disciple,  of  intimate  as- 
sociation with  a  Personal  Spirit  who  is  "Holy,"  "True,"  and 
"Helpful"  or  "Kind"  ?  What  is  the  meaning  of  each  of  these 
designations  (John  14  :  26,  17,  16)? 

Notice  particularly  the  word  "  Comforter"  or  "  Paraclete."  The 
Greek  word  designates  a  person  who  is  called  to  one's  side  to  admon- 
ish, entreat,  encourage,  help  ;  especially  a  person  who  is  called  to  one's 
side  to  plead  his  case  in  court.  As  an  instance  of  His  "  helping,"  see 
Luke  12  :  n,  12.  Consider  to  what  extent  Jesus  had  served  this 
purpose  in  His  personal  association  with  the  disciples.  Cf.  John 
17  :  12  ;  Luke  22:  31,  32. 

Notice  the  permanence  of  the  association,  John  14  :  16  ;  and  con- 
sider the  consequent  possibility  of  character  on  the  part  of  the  disciple. 

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STUDY  XIX.  —  JJedttg'  Conception  of  t&e  ^Disciple  in  (us  Helatton 
to  tljc  ()olp  Spirit 

FIFTH  DAY  :  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  MAKING  THINGS  REAL  TO 
THE  DISCIPLE 

i.  The  general  result  of  association  with  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the 
moral  character  of  the  disciple  has  been  considered.  It  remains  to  in- 
quire whether  anything  more  specific  can  be  learned  with  regard  to  the 
character  of  His  intercourse  with  the  disciple. 

Since  the  Holy  Spirit  is,  as  we  have  seen,  to  continue  the  work  of 
Jesus  in  the  disciple,  it  is  not  strange  that  He  should  be  represented  by 
Jesus  as  a  teacher.  See  John  14  :  26.  The  chief  function  of  a  suc- 
cessful teacher  is  his  ability  to  make  things  real  to  his  pupils.  It  is  in- 
teresting to  see  what  emphasis  Jesus  laid  on  this  form  of  the  Spirit's 
activity. 

Read  first  the  description  of  His  activity  in  the  undiscipled  world, 
John  1  6  :  8-11.  Men  go  comfortably  on  in  lives  of  selfishness  for 
years,  but  when  the  Spirit  of  God  comes  to  them,  their  selfishness  seems 
real  to  them  and  they  are  "convicted  of  sin/*  «'  Righteousness  "  be- 
comes real  to  them,  and  "judgment"  becomes  a  present  fact  instead 
of  a  vague  and  meaningless  word.  Cf.  John  3  :  5  as  a  statement  of 
what  follows  in  case  they  yield  to  this  vivified  truth. 

z.  In  His  intercourse  with  the  disciple  He  makes  the  teaching  of 
Jesus  seem  real.  Read  John  14  :  26  ;  15  :  26.  The  thoughts  of 
Jesus  are  not  to  be  allowed  to  die  out  of  the  minds  of  men.  The  spirit 
of  the  disciple  is  to  be  kept  susceptible  to  the  personal  influence  of  Jesus 
by  the  vivifying  touch  of  the  Spirit  of  God. 

3.  The  great  Teaching  Spirit  will  lead  the  minds  of  disciples  into  a 
real  experience  of  new  truth,  and  introduce  the  new  order,  John  16  : 
13.     This  will  be  a  continuation  of  the  work  of  Jesus,  for  the  Spirit 
will  draw  from  Jesus'  infinite  reserves  of  truth,  vv.  14,  15.      He  also 
will  listen  to  the  Father,  cf.  v.  1  3  with  John  8  :  26  ;    15:15. 

4.  Our  constant  danger  is  that  the  phraseology  of  religion  shall  be 
found  slipping  readily  from  our  lips,  when  there  is  but  a  meagre  sense 
of  an  inner  religious  life.     A  man  sometimes  wakes  up  to  the  fact  that 
he  is  using  a  phraseology  that  exceeds  his  personal  experience  ;  finds  his 
sense  of  honesty  disturbed  ;  and  relapses  into  silence.      For  such  an 
one  there  is  a  possibility  of  a  full,  strong  life  in  association  with  the 
true,  holy,  helpful  Spirit  of  God  that  will  spontaneously  overflow  into 
sincere  expression  upon  proper  occasion. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 

STUDY  XIX. — 3eflitt0'  Conception  of  tbe  Disciple  in  [jte  Kelation 
to  t&e  J)olp  Spirit 

SIXTH  DAY:  THE    DISCIPLE  ASSOCIATED  WITH  THE  HOLY 
SPIRIT  IN  WITNESSING 

1.  Jesus  represents  the  Holy  Spirit  as  bearing    testimony.      Note 
the  general  subject  of  His  testimony  as  stated  in  John  I  5  :  26  ;    16:14. 
What  is  the  substance  of  His  testimony  regarding  Jesus  ?     To  whom 
is  it  borne  and  how  ? 

2.  Out  of  his  life  of  association  with  the  Holy  Spirit  the  disciple 
is  also  said  to  ««  bear  witness."      See  John  1 5  :  27,  considering  the  verb 
to  be  imperative  as  in  the  margin. 

Inasmuch  as  the  whole  work  of  the  Spirit  is  represented  as  calculated 
to  make  Jesus  a  reality  in  the  life  of  the  disciple,  it  would  seem  to  fol- 
low that  the  testimony  of  the  disciple  would  relate  to  the  real  results 
in  his  own  experience  of  the  influence  of  Jesus.  This  seems  to  be  the 
thought  of  John  15  :  26,  27. 

Note  carefully  the  explicit  statement  made  by  Jesus  in  Acts  I  :  8. 
They  are  evidently  called  His  witnesses  because  they  are  able  out  of 
their  experience  to  testify  regarding  His  influence  upon  them.  This 
statement  in  Acts  reveals  Jesus'  confidence  that  the  Kingdom  of  God 
which  He  lived,  died,  and  rose  again  to  establish,  could  be  brought  to 
realization  through  the  testimony  of  ordinary  men  and  women  living  in 
personal  association  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 

On  one  important  occasion  Jesus  spoke  of  the  personality  of  the  dis- 
ciple as  a  source  of  life-giving  influence  for  others,  and  is  said  to  have 
spoken  in  this  way  because  of  the  possibilities  of  a  human  personality 
in  alliance  with  the  Spirit  of  God.  Read  John  7  :  37-39. 

««  What  is  the  secret  of  this  heroic  movement,  which,  in  view  of  the 
feebleness  of  its  agents,  the  smallness  of  the  number  of  its  original  ad- 
herents, the  slenderness  of  their  intellectual  equipment,  and  the  vast- 
ness  of  their  pretensions,  has  only  been  saved  from  ridicule  and  oblivion 
by  its  astounding  success  ?  Hear  themselves.  Are  they  asked  for  an 
explanation  of  their  exuberant  outburst  at  Pentecost  ?  It  is  because  the 
Risen  Lord  has  more  than  kept  His  promise  (Acts  2  :  16-21,  33)." 
— Robert  J.  Drummond,  The  Relation  of  the  Apostolic  Teaching  to 
the  Teaching  of  Christ. 


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STUDY  XIX.  —  ^efittfi'  Conception  of  t&e  £)ieciple  in  &is  Hclation 
to  tl;c  f)olp  Spirit 

SEVENTH  DAY:    REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

I  .  Review  the  evidence  for  the  personality  of  the  Spirit,  and  note 
His  influence  in  the  life  of  Jesus  as  an  indication  of  His  disposition  and 
of  the  things  He  is  interested  in  doing.  Then  see  how  this  disposition 
manifests  itself  in  what  He  does  for  and  through  the  disciple.  Review 
the  relation  of  His  work  to  that  of  Jesus. 

Consider  one  question  that  has  not  been  raised  during  the  week, 
namely,  What  are  the  conditions  that  must  be  met  by  the  disciple  who 
would  deepen  his  acquaintance  with  this  Personal  Spirit  ?  What  are 
the  conditions  of  a  deepening  acquaintance  with  any  good  person  ? 

2.  The  most  significant  and  fundamental  of  the  names  applied  by 
Jesus  o  the  Holy  Spirit  is  <«  Comforter,"  or  "Helper."  He  is  a 
great  *  '  Helper.  '  '  His  purpose  is  not  to  make  life  hard  for  the  dis- 
ciple, but  to  help  him  up  into  larger  life,  deeper  peace,  greater  power. 
This  was  the  aim  of  Jesus,  and  it  is  because  the  Spirit  carries  out  this 
great  purpose  of  Jesus  that  Jesus  spoke  of  Him  as  "  another  "  Helper 
(John  14  :  16). 

It  follows  also  from  this  conception  that  one  who  associates  with  the 
Holy  Spirit  will  also  be  a  powerful  "  helper"  ;  and  that  such  was 
conspicuously  the  case  in  the  first  instances  of  association  with  Him  is 
evident  from  the  first  chapters  of  Acts.  Read  for  instance  Acts 
4  :  32-35.  Indeed,  the  motive  lying  behind  the  bearing  of  the  testi- 
mony for  which  the  Spirit's  presence  is  an  empowering,  is  the  funda- 
mental desire  in  the  heart  of  the  disciple  to  help  someone.  He  has 
found  increasing  life  and  peace  in  Jesus'  discipleship,  and  now  pro- 
poses to  help  others  into  the  same  experience. 


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STUDY  XX.  —  3e6ttfi'  Conception  of  t&e  £)t«iple  in  Iris  Eclation 
to  Ijis  fcilotu 


FIRST  DAY:  THE  DISCIPLE  A  FELLOW  DISCIPLE 

I  .  In  Jesus'  thought  the  disciple  is  never  an  isolated  phenomenon. 
Neither  is  his  relation  to  God,  in  whatever  form  God  be  conceived, 
regarded  as  his  sole  relationship.  He  is  always  thought  of  in  relation 
to  other  men.  If  it  be  true,  as  was  suggested  in  Study  XVI,  Fifth 
Day,  that  life  consists  of  loving  personal  relationships,  friendships,  then 
the  most  favorable  sphere  in  which  to  develop  life  is  evidently  a  com- 
munity. 

2.  Jesus'  emphasis  of  this  fact  appears  in  the  assumptions  underlying 
all  His  teachings,  as  well  as  in  His  explicit  statements.      Repeat  to 
yourself  the  Lord's  Prayer  or,  as  it  might  perhaps  better  be  called,  the 
Disciples'  Prayer,  and  notice  that  it  is  supposed  to  arise  from  a  group 
of  disciples.      Observe  the  personal  pronouns  "  our,"  «<  us,"  "  we  "  ; 
and  any  other  recognition  found  in  it  of  mutual  human  relationship. 

Jesus'  characteristic  word  «?  Kingdom  "  assumes  what  in  this  con- 
nection ?  Note  the  word  that  occurs  only  three  times  in  the  Gospels, 
Matt.  16:18;  18:17.  Jesus'  fundamental  idea  of  God's  Fatherhood 
assumes  the  existence  of  a  family.  Religion  is  represented  by  Him  as 
fundamentally  a  «'  neighborhood  "  matter,  Matt.  22:39;  an<^>  m 
the  nature  of  the  case,  this  neighborhood  idea  reaches  its  most  perfect 
realization  among  the  disciples. 

3.  The  things  that  bind  men  most  closely  together  are  to  have  in 
common  an  intimate  friend  ;  to  share  deliverance  from  a  great  common 
peril  ;  to  share  a  great  common  hope  ;  and  to  share  a  great  common 
work.      Consider  to  what  extent,  and  how,  these  conditions  of  close 
personal  relationship  are  realized  in  the  case  of  the  disciple.      Among 
other  representations  of  Jesus  on  this  subject,  consider  these  :   Matt. 
23  :  8-10  ;   24  :  9-13,  29-31  ;  Luke  12  :  32-34  ;   22  :  28-30  ;  John 
1  6  :  33.      See  how  they  are  combined  in  John   15  :  15-27.      Notice 
also  carefully  the  relation  of  the  personality  of  Jesus  to  each  of  the  things 
specified  above  as  calculated  to  bind  men  strongly  together. 

4.  One  purpose  of  the  Christian  Church  is  to  keep  disciples  in  close 
touch  with  each  other,  and  make  them  conscious  of  each  other.      Its 
institutions  emphasize  their  common  deliverance,  common  friend,  com- 
mon hope,  and  common  work. 


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STUDY  XX.—  Jeatw'  Conception  of  t&e  EHaciple  in  \\&  Eelation 

to  Ms  JFcllotu 


SECOND  DAY:  THE  DISCIPLES  LOVING  EACH  OTHER 

I  .  When  Jesus  was  about  to  leave  the  world,  instead  of  giving  to 
His  disciples  "  practical  "  directions  regarding  forms  of  organization 
and  methods  of  procedure,  He  specified  something  which  may  have 
seemed  to  the  apostles  at  the  time  absurdly  simple,  but  which  seemed 
to  Him  to  constitute  the  fundamental  and  essential  characteristic  of 
discipleship.  Read  John  13  :  34,  35  ;  15:12.  The  disciples  of 
Jesus,  everywhere  in  the  world,  were  to  be  recognized  as  specialists  in 
friendship.  "  They  love  each  other  without  knowing  each  other,"  the 
pagans  said  in  amazement  of  the  early  Christians.  The  really  funda- 
mental character  of  this  simple  requirement  becomes  more  evident,  when 
we  remember  Jesus'  conception  of  life  brought  out  in  Study  XVI,  Fifth 
Day,  namely,  that  living  consists  in  loving.  Furthermore,  Jesus  wished 
to  reproduce  in  the  world  the  vital  relationships  that  exist  in  heaven. 
Note  in  John  17  121-23  what  He  conceived  to  be  the  essential  element 
in  these.  In  sharp  contrast,  see  the  characteristics  of  life  in  hell  as 
they  appeared  to  Jesus  in  the  character  of  a  man  who  cherished  either 
anger  or  contempt  for  a  brother,  Matt.  5:22.  Give  particular  atten- 
tion to  all  the  details  of  the  altar  scene,  Matt.  5  :  23,  24.  Picture  the 
priest  waiting  at  the  altar,  and  the  would-be  worshipper  going  back  into 
the  city  to  find  his  injured  brother.  The  thought  is  that  it  is  impossible 
to  be  a  disciple,  or  worshipper,  unless  one  loves  his  fellow  disciple. 

2.  In  practical  experience  love  reveals  itself  negatively  in  an  un- 
willingness to  criticise  a  fellow  disciple  unnecessarily,  and  positively  in 
a  disposition  to  rejoice  in  his  success.  To  get  Jesus'  view  of  the  fun- 
damental importance  of  the  former  point,  read  Matt.  7  :  1-5.  Partic- 
ularly in  the  case  of  men  who  are  being  trained  in  processes  of  analysis 
and  discrimination,  and  who  are  of  necessity  engaged  in  competition, 
the  practical  test  of  love  oftentimes  is  made  in  their  attitude  toward  a 
fellow  disciple's  faults  and  successes.  To  rejoice  heartily  in  other  men's 
successes  and  to  deal  in  patient,  faithful  kindness  with  their  little  faults, 
is  to  succeed  in  loving  them. 

Note  in  John  1  5  :  1  2  the  standard  which  Jesus  sets  up  for  the  dis- 
ciple. The  fundamental  idea  in  these  words  seems  to  be  that  the  dis- 
ciple, in  order  to  be  a  disciple,  must  agree  with  bis  Lord.  He  must 
feel  about  his  fellow  disciple's  faults  and  successes  as  Jesus  does. 

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STUDY  XX.  —  Seatta'  Conception  of  tfje  SDteciple  in  &te  Eelation 
to  bis  Jeiloto  iDusdpics 

THIRD  DAY  :  THE  DISCIPLES  FORGIVING  EACH  OTHER 

I  .  In  the  close  personal  relationship  which  is  the  essential  condition 
of  real  life,  there  is  incidentally  involved  abundant  opportunity  for  mis- 
understanding and  bitterness.  It  is  significant  that  more  is  said  by 
Jesus  about  forgiveness  than  about  almost  any  other  topic  connected 
with  the  mutual  relations  of  disciples. 

2.  The  most  extensive  discussion  of  the  subject  is  found  in  Matt. 
1  8  121-35.      Read  the  paragraph  carefully,  noting  that  a  large  part  of 
the  force  of  the  illustration  consists  in  the  comparative  amounts  of  the 
two  debts.      Roughly  estimated  the  debts   seem  to  have  been  some- 
thing like  $12,000,000  and  $17.      Exactly  what  phase  of  life  in  the 
Kingdom  of  Heaven  (v.  23)  is  the  story  intended  to  illustrate? 

3.  Before  going  further  into  the  discussion,  stop  to  consider  what 
forgiveness  really  is.      Make  the  best  definition  you  can.      Is  it  possible 
to  forgive  a  person  who  has  not  repented  ?     See  Luke  17:3.      How 
ought  one  to  feel  toward  one  who  has  done  him  an  injury  and  is  not 
sorry  for  it  ?     In  what  respect,  if  at  all,  is  his  feeling  changed  when 
the  offender  becomes  sorry  for  the  offence  ?     Examine  the  subject  from 
the  standpoint  of  one  who  has  experienced  God's  forgiveness.      How 
does  God  feel  toward  a  man  who  is  not  sorry  for  his  wrong-doing  ? 
Does  God's  feeling  toward  the  man  change  when  the  man  does  become 
sorry  for  his  wrong-doing  ?     If  so,  what  is  the  nature  of  the  change  ? 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 

STUDY  XX. — %ft*u&'  Conception  of  t&e  Disciple  in  Jjifi  Eelation 

to  bus  JFcllolu  <Dt6ctplns 

FOURTH  DAY  :   THE  DISCIPLES   FORGIVING  EACH    OTHER 
(CONCLUDED) 

1.  It  may  be  said  that  the  essence  of  forgiveness  is  approving  love. 
Jesus  strongly  insisted  that,  in  imitation  of  God,  a  man  should  love  his 
enemies   (Matt.    5  :  43-48)  ;  but  in  the  case  of  both  God  and  man 
such  love  is  necessarily  a  disapproving  love.      When  the  "enemy** 
has  repented  of,  and  put  away,  his  enmity,  he  is  met  with  a  hearty 
approving  love  which  is  forgiveness.      The  forgiveness  is  to  be  hearty 
like  God's.      See  the  last  clause  in  Matt.    18  :  35.      God  is  said  to 
fling  our  sins  far  out  into  the  sea  where  none  may  dredge  them  up 
(Micah  7  :  19).      He  does  not  "remember"  our  sins  (Isa.  43  :  25). 
He  is  not  one  who  "  forgives  but  does  not  forget."      The  old  father, 
running,   falling  on  his  son's  neck,   and  "kissing  him  much"  (Luke 
1 5  :  20,  margin),  represents  Jesus'  conception  of  the  heartiness  of  God's 
forgiveness. 

2.  Note  the  two  motives  for  forgiving  a  fellow  disciple  to  which 
Jesus  appealed  in  Matt.   18  :  32-35. 

Jesus'  teaching  is  that  the  failure  to  forgive  involves  the  ruin  of  the 
unforgiving  personality,  and  that,  not  because  of  any  arbitrary  act  of 
God,  but  in  the  nature  of  the  case.  See  another  statement  of  the  con- 
sequence of  refusing  to  forgive,  Matt.  6  :  14,  15.  The  reason  for 
this  is  evident.  To  forgive  is  to  feel  approving  love  and,  in  the  nature 
of  the  case,  God  cannot  feel  approving  love  of  a  man  who  has  an  un- 
forgiving spirit.  Furthermore,  the  essence  of  the  original  offence  was 
an  unloving  spirit.  If  now  the  offended  party  refuses  to  feel  approving 
love  for  the  penitent  offender,  he  is  guilty  of  the  same  unloving  spirit 
that  constituted  the  original  offence. 

Note  in  the  first  clause  of  Mark  11:25  another  statement  of  the 
consequence  of  refusing  to  forgive.  Imagine  a  man  lifting  one  hand  in 
prayer  to  God  the  Father  of  love,  calling  upon  Him  for  mercy,  while 
his  other  hand  tightens  its  unmerciful  grip  on  his  brother's  throat 
(Matt.  1 8  :  28).  There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  heart  that  is  loving  on 
its  heavenly  side,  and  at  the  same  time  hating  on  its  earthly  side. 

It  is  impossible  for  the  unforgiving  man  to  present  the  gospel  to  any- 
one, for  the  essence  of  the  gospel  is  that  a  penitent  man  will  be  for- 
given, and  his  conduct  gives  the  lie  to  his  message. 

He  cannot  have  any  vital  connection  with  the  Church.     The  Church 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


is  called  the  body  of  Christ.      It  is  in  a  sense  an  incarnation  of  God. 
It  must,  therefore,  most  of   all  be  an  incarnation  of  God's  forgiving 
spirit.       God's   advertisement   to  the  world  is  this  :    "  Here  in  my 
Church  is  a  body  of  men  and  women  who  can  be  relied  upon  to  for 
give  those  who  sin  against  them." 

The  man  who  will  not  forgive,  therefore,  is  fundamentally  and 
ruinously  out  of  agreement  with  God.  God  has  forgiven  the  penitent 
offender,  and  he  has  not.  He  is  like  the  elder  brother,  fundamentally 
out  of  agreement  with  his  father.  Read  once  more  Luke  15  :  26-32. 
The  Father  and  all  heaven  rejoice  over  the  offender's  penitence  (Luke 
15  :  7),  but  the  unforgiving  man  does  not.  Ultimately  it  will  have  to 
be  said  of  him  in  his  relation  to  heaven,  as  was  said  of  the  elder  brother 
in  the  parable,  ««  He  was  angry  and  would  not  go  in  "  (Luke  15  :  28). 

3.  Peter  thought  of  forgiveness  as  confined  to  a  limited  number  of 
specific  acts.  Jesus  thought  of  it  as  a  habit  of  life.  See  the  evidence 
of  this  in  Matt.  18  :  21,  22. 

The  unforgiving  man  is  also  in  danger  of  forming  the  unforgiving  habit. 
A  "root  of  bitterness  "  (Heb.  12  :  15)  may  fasten  itself  eternally  into 
his  heart,  and  habitually  sap  his  soul's  strength.  It  is  a  good  thing  for 
a  man  to  ask  himself  whether  he  would  like  to  be  forever  of  the  disposi- 
tion that  is  his  now.  It  is  only  when  the  bitterness  has  been  put  away 
that  his  heart  becomes  productive  of  the  peaceable  fruits  of  righteous- 
ness ;  his  dumb  lips  speak  again  in  prayer  ;  his  feet  go  on  glad  errands 
of  evangelism  ;  and  he  stands  with  the  Father  sharing  the  Father's 
* '  welcome  home  ' '  for  every  penitent  brother. 

"  Let  all  bitterness,  and  wrath,  and  anger,  and  clamor,  and  railing, 
be  put  away  from  you,  with  all  malice  :  and  be  ye  kind  one  to  another, 
tender-hearted,  forgiving  each  other,  even  as  God  also  in  Christ  forgave 
you.  Be  ye  therefore  imitators  of  God  as  beloved  children  ;  and  walk 
in  love,  even  as  Christ  also  loved  you,  and  gave  himself  up  for  us." 

St  Paul,  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians. 


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STUDY  XX.— ^Jeans'  Conception  of  t(je  £)usciple  in  i)is  Eelation 
to  bic  Jelloto  £H0tiples 

FIFTH    DAY  :    THE  DISCIPLE  REBUKING  HIS  FELLOW  DIS- 
CIPLE 

1 .  Since  forgiveness  is  approving  love,  it  follows  that  there  can  be 
no  forgiveness  without  repentance.      The  duty  of  forgiving  involves 
also  the  duty  of  doing  what  can  be  done  to  make  forgiveness  possible, 
that  is,  doing  what  can  be  done  to  secure  the  offender's  repentance. 
Jesus  specifies  one  means  that  may  be  employed  to  induce  this  repent- 
ance.     Read  Luke  17:3.      Notice  the  impressive  words  with  which 
Jesus  prefaces  this  statement.      They  constitute  a  danger  signal,  indi- 
cating that  here  is  a  perilous  point  in  human  life. 

Experience  shows  that  many  comparatively  slight  discourtesies  and 
expressions  of  ill-will  are  only  transient,  and  will  disappear  if  ignored 
and  met  with  steady  good-nature.  The  direction  of  Jesus  seems  in- 
tended for  more  serious  situations.  In  these  more  serious  cases  the 
offender  must  not  be  left  "severely  alone,'*  nor  his  offence  good- 
naturedly  overlooked,  but  he  must  be  made  sensible  of  his  offence. 
This  must  be  accomplished  in  such  a  way  as  will  tend  to  make  him 
sorry  for  his  offence.  To  accomplish  this  requires  grace  and  tact  of  a 
high  order.  The  motive  for  the  rebuke  is  not  to  vindicate  the  offended 
or  to  humiliate  the  offender,  but  simply  to  make  the  offender  feel  sorry 
for  what  he  has  done,  it  is  not  my  grievance  but  his  danger  that  is 
to  be  my  final  concern. 

2.  With  this  view  of  the  case,  read  Matt.  18  :  15-17.      Note  that 
the  direction  is  to  go  alone.      What  is  the  reason  for  this  direction  ? 
Why  take  two  or  three  others  if  the  first   interview   fails  ?      Note  in 
the  last  clause  of  v.   15  how  effectively  the  actuating  motive  and  spirit 
of  the  visit  are  stated.      He  is  not  to  look  back  upon  the  interview  as 
one  in  which  he  was  sternly  called  to  account.      It  is  to  be  among  the 
tender  and  pleasant  memories  of  his  life. 

As  a  last  resort  the  influence  of  the  whole  brotherhood  is  to  be 
brought  to  bear  upon  him,  and  if  he  does  not  yield  to  this,  there  is 
nothing  to  do  but  to  leave  him  in  his  sins.  In  view  of  Jesus'  treat- 
ment of  Gentiles  and  publicans  what  does  the  last  clause  of  v.  17 
seem  to  indicate  ? 


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STUDY  XX.—  JJesttd'  Conception  of  tbe  Disciple  in  irie  Kelation 
to  Ms  felloto 


SIXTH  DAY  :  THE  DISCIPLES  SERVING  EACH  OTHER 

I  .  It  has  become  evident  that  the  idea  of  a  brotherhood  of  disciples 
was  fundamental  in  the  thought  of  Jesus.  One  further  phase  of  the 
mutual  relation  of  disciples  remains  to  be  examined.  It  is  stated  in 
Matt.  20  :  26,  27.  Read  carefully  the  entire  context,  vv.  20-28. 

2.  Exactly  what  did  Jesus  mean  by  this  language  ?     To  what  ex- 
tent is  it  feasible  to  be  "  the  bond  servant  "  of  one's  fellow  disciples  ? 
To  do  things  for  a  person  that  he  can  and  ought  to  do  for  himself  is 
certainly  no  real  kindness  to  him. 

We  may  regard  Jesus  as  describing  here  the  spirit  He  desires  to  see 
in  the  disciple.  Can  you  describe  the  spirit  any  more  specifically,  and 
can  you  state  any  principle  that  may  safely  be  followed  in  the  effort  to 
give  expression  to  this  spirit  ?  Is  there  anything  in  the  example  of 
Jesus  (Matt.  20  :  28)  to  help  you  at  this  point  ? 

3.  On  one  occasion  Jesus  gave  an  illustration  of  His  injunction  that 
must  have  profoundly  impressed  the  disciples.      Read  John  13  :  I  -  1  1  . 

Jesus'  conception  of  '*  Christian  service  "  was  more  fundamental 
and  simple  than  that  which  is  sometimes  popularly  designated  by  the 
the  expression.  It  is  not  necessarily  to  serve  on  a  committee  or  to  do 
some  piece  of  "  Christian  work  "  technically  so-called.  The  disciple 
holds  himself  ready  to  do  any  one  of  the  numberless  services  that  may 
contribute  to  the  welfare  of  others  in  the  ordinary  intercourse  of  daily 
life.  They  may  sometimes  be  the  very  acts  that  would  ordinarily  be 
performed  by  a  servant.  He  goes  about  all  his  work  with  the  spirit 
of  a  servant.  Service  is  to  be  distinguished  from  servility.  The  mo- 
tive for  the  former  is  love  ;  for  the  latter,  a  desire  for  pay  of  some 
sort.  Notice  the  introductory  words  in  John  13:1,  and  notice  also 
that  service  of  this  sort  is  compatible  with,  or  essentially  suited  to, 
great  dignity  of  position.  Read  the  wonderful  prelude  in  vv.  3,  4. 
Consider  in  what  respects  it  makes  one  "great"  (Matt.  20  :  26)  to 
serve. 

4.  Perhaps  one  puts  the  test  to  himself  as  a  disciple  by  inquiring 
whether  he  increasingly  enjoys  doing  a  favor  for  anyone  who  needs  it. 

"  That  best  portion  of  a  good  man's  life, 
His  little,  nameless,  unremembered  acts 
Of  kindness  and  of  love." 

Wordsworth,  Lines  written  near  Tintern  Abbey. 

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STUDY  XX.—  Jecttfi'  Conception  of  t&e  £H0ctpIe  fn  &te  Relation 
to  &te  Jelloto 


SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK. 

Sum  up  what  has  been  discovered  to  be  Jesus'  conception  of  the  re- 
lation of  the  disciple  to  his  fellow  disciple  ;  the  connection  of  this  rela- 
tionship with  the  development  of  his  own  personal  life  ;  the  bearing  of 
it  upon  his  relation  to  God  ;  the  practical  expression  of  his  kindly  feel- 
ing for  his  fellow  disciples  that  may  wisely  be  made. 

Of  course,  as  will  be  seen  later,  Jesus  did  not  propose  to  have  the 
disciple's  love  limited  to  the  sphere  of  his  fellow  disciples,  but  of  ne- 
cessity it  has  there  the  best  opportunity  for  development,  and  unless 
developed  there  it  will  fail  to  manifest  itself  under  less  favorable  con- 
ditions. 

"  Poor  vaunt  of  life  indeed, 
Were  man  but  formed  to  feed 
On  joy,  to  solely  seek  and  find  and  feast  5 
Such  feasting  ended,  then 
As  sure  an  end  to  me  5 
Irks  care  the  crop-full  bird  ?     Frets  doubt  the  maw-crammed  beast  ? 

'*  Rejoice  we  are  allied 

To  That  which  doth  provide 

And  not  partake,  effect  and  not  receive  ! 

A  spark  disturbs  our  clod  j 

Nearer  we  hold  of  God 

Who  gives,  than  of  His  tribes  that  take,  I  must  believe." 

Browning,  Rabbi  Ben  Ezra. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XXI.  —  JJesufl!'  Conception  of  t&e  Diaciple  ae  a  ffim  of 
JJraper 

FIRST  DAY  :  THE  PRAYING  OF  JESUS 

1.  It  has  been  seen  that  the  animus  of  Jesus'  life  was  to  share  what 
He  had  with  His  disciples,  to  bring  the  disciples  as  far  as  possible  to 
share  His  own  experience.      It  is  necessary,  therefore,  in  preparation 
for  the  consideration  of  this  new  theme,  to  see  what  prayer  meant  to 
Jesus  personally. 

2.  Notice  briefly  to-day  the  circumstances  under  which  Jesus  is  rep- 
resented to  have  prayed.      Luke  mentions  at  least  six  instances  of  Jesus' 
prayers  not  found  in  other  Gospels.      One  of  them  is  3  :  21.      In  view 
of  Jesus*  situation  here,  what  do  you  suppose  Him  to  have  been  pray- 
ing about  ? 

See  Mark  I  :  35.  Picture  the  scene  in  imagination.  What  was 
probably  the  substance  of  His  prayer  here  ?  Consider  His  experience 
on  the  evening  before  (vv.  32-34),  and  the  work  upon  which  He  was 
about  to  enter  (vv.  38,  39). 

Read  Luke  5  :  16  and  its  preceding  context,  vv.  12-15.  The 
Greek  verbs  in  vv.  15,  16  may  be  regarded  grammatically  as  describ- 
ing something  that  occurred  repeatedly.  Try  here  in  imagination  to 
reproduce  the  situation,  and  inquire  what  Jesus  prayed  about.  If 
"but"  be  the  proper  translation,  v.  16,  what  does  it  indicate  as  to 
the  connection  of  the  action  described  in  v.  16  with  what  is  described 
in  the  preceding  verses  ? 

Read  Luke  6:  12,  and  note  in  its  context  w.  13-19.  Of  what 
special  importance  was  the  step  to  be  taken  next  day  ?  What  do  you 
suppose  to  have  been  the  substance  of  this  prayer,  hour  after  hour  dur- 
ing the  night  time  ?  Was  He  making  up  His  mind  whom  to  choose  ? 
Was  He  looking  into  the  future  careers  of  those  whom  He  would 
choose?  Were  the  crowds  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  (vv.  17-19)  in  His 
thought  ?  Look  at  the  preceding  context,  vv.  6-1  1. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XXI.  —  JJefima'  Conception  of  t&e  JDtacipIe  ae  a  Jflan  of 

Draper 

SECOND  DAY:  THE  PRAYING  OF  JESUS  (CONCLUDED) 

1.  Read   Mark  6:46,  and  its  context,  vv.  30—52.      There  is  a 
hint  of  urgency  in  the  use  of  the  word  "  constrained  "  (v.  45),  some 
explanation  of  which  is  afforded  by  the  parallel  account  in  John  6:5- 
15.      In  view  of  all  the  circumstances,  what  did  Jesus  probably  pray 
about  through  the  hours  of  this  windy  (v.  18)  night  on  the  hilltop  ? 

Another  crises  of  a  different  sort  appears  in  Luke  9  :  18-27.  Ac- 
cording  to  the  account  in  Mark  8  :  27,  Jesus  had  left  Galilee,  and  was 
apparently  devonng  Himself  to  the  private  instruction  of  His  disciples, 
though  by  no  means  out  of  connection  with  others  (Mark  8  :  34). 
Consider  what  prayer  meant  to  Jesus  in  this  crisis. 

Notice  also  that,  according  to  Luke's  account,  9  :  28,  29,  Jesus 
was  praying  on  the  mountain  during  the  night  of  the  transfiguration. 
Read  the  paragraph,  vv.  28-36,  looking  for  suggestions  as  to  what 
Jesus  was  praying  about. 

2.  Jesus  sometimes  prayed  in  the  presence  of  His  disciples,  John 
17:1.      Perhaps  he  often  withdrew  to  some  place  a  short  distance 
from  them  as  He  did  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane,  Luke  22  :  39-41. 
Note  what  is  implied  in  Luke  1  1  :  I  as  to  His  habit  of  prayer. 

3  .  The  Gospel  of  John  affords  a  striking  picture  of  Jesus  at  prayer. 
Read  1  1  :  41-44.  What  does  this  language  indicate  as  to  Jesus'  pre- 
vious prayer  for  Lazarus?  Cf.  vv.  11-15.  Note  in  v.  42  the  evi- 
dence of  a  habit  of  prayer,  and  also  the  confidence  that  Jesus'  friends 
seem  to  have  felt  in  the  efficacy  of  all  His  prayers,  vv.  21,  22. 

4.  The  most  impressive  view  of  Jesus  at  prayer  is,  of  course,  His 
mysterious  experience  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane.  Read  the  account 
in  Mark  14  :  32-42.  It  is  not  necessary  to  ask  again,  as  in  Part  I, 
what  is  here  prayed  for.  It  is  sufficient  to  see  that  in  this  hour  of  pro- 
found need  His  resource  was  prayer  to  His  Father.  We  shall  have 
occasion  later  to  consider  what  is  to  be  learned  from  the  prayers  of 
Jesus  regarding  proper  objects  of  prayer.  Note  now  any  other  things 
that  are  suggested  to  you  by  the  prayers  of  Jesus  already  considered. 


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STUDY  XXI.  —  ^Jeans'  Conception  of  t&e  Disciple  a*  a  Jflan  of 

JJraper 

THIRD  DAY:    THE  DISCIPLE  PRAYING  TO   HIS  HEAVENLY 

FATHER 

I  .  We  have  seen  how  real  to  Jesus  was  His  intercourse  in  prayer 
with  His  Father,  and  how  large  a  place  it  occupied  day  and  night  in 
His  life.  From  what  we  have  already  seen  of  Jesus'  general  desire  to 
share  with  His  disciples,  we  should  expect  to  find  Him  endeavoring  to 
share  this  experience  also  with  them. 

Read  Matt.  7  :  7-11,  considering  Jesus  here  to  be  endeavoring  to 
induce  the  disciple  to  reproduce  His  own  experience.  Imagine  Him 
to  have  spoken  v.  7  with  emphasis  on  the  personal  pronouns.  Read 
also  Matt.  6:6-8. 

Notice  in  both  these  passages  what  the  underlying  basis  of  prayer  is, 
namely,  the  fact  that  God  is  our  Father.  This  is  the  great  fundamental 
assumption  with  which  Jesus  began  His  theory  and  practice  of  prayer, 
an  assumption  firmly  grounded  in  His  own  personal  consciousness. 

2.  Prayer  then  includes  all  of  our  intercourse  with  our  Heavenly 
Father.      We  bring  all  hopes  and  fears  to  Him,  as  children  to  a  father, 
knowing  that  we  do  not  speak  them  out  into  the  empty  air,  but  to  an 
interested  person,  to  a  person  who  finds  them  interesting  because  it  is 
His  children  that  bring  them  to  Him.      The  aim  of  Jesus,  as  we  have 
seen,  was  to  gather  His   disciples  up  into  a  share  of  His  own  close 
relationship  to  His  Father  ;  and  the  language,  often  unspoken,  of  this 
relationship  is  prayer. 

3.  Although  prayer,  broadly  conceived,  covers  all  the  going  out  of 
one's  thought  to  God,  notice  the  restricted  sense  in  which  Jesus  often 
refers  to  it.     Read  again  Matt.  7:7-11;  and  then  read  Matt.  18:19; 
21  :22  ;  John  15:7.     Jesus  conceives  of  something  coming  back  from 
God  to  the  praying  disciple.     His  Father  acts  in  response  to  His  child's 
appeal,  and  does  things  that  would  not  otherwise  be  done. 

"  O  heart  I  made,  a  heart  beats  here  !  " 

This  is  an  assumption  that  almost  startles  one  ;  but  it  is  a  natural  and 
necessary  inference  from  Jesus'  great  conception,  basal  to  His  whole 
system  of  thought  and  theory  of  life,  that  God  is  a  Fatherly  Person. 
Read  again  Matt.  7  :  7-11. 

"  Speak  to  Him  thou  for  He  hears,  and  Spirit  with  Spirit  can  meet- 
Closer  is  He  than  breathing,  and  nearer  than  hands  and  feet.1' 

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STUDY  XXI.  —  Jesus'  Conception  o!  tjje  3Dtadple  as  a  ^flan  of 


FOURTH  DAY  :  THE  DISCIPLE  PRAYING  TO  HIS  HEAVENLY 
FATHER  (CONTINUED) 

1.  Consider   the  relation   of  Jesus'    prayer-hearing    Father    to  the 
forces  of  nature.      Do  they  so  bar  Him  back  that  He  cannot  get  to 
His  praying  child  in  need,  or  can  at  most  only  stand  by  in  helpless 
sympathy  ?     Notice  Jesus'  conception  of  the  relation  of  God  to  nat- 
ure in  Matt.  5  :  45  ;  6  :  26,  28-30  ;   21  :  18-22. 

The  fixity  of  the  laws  of  nature  is  certainly  a  great  blessing.  Sup- 
pose that  a  disciple  of  Jesus  could  at  any  moment  through  prayer  sus- 
pend the  law  of  gravity  or  make  the  sun  set.  Such  power  in  prayer, 
granted  to  men  in  the  present  stage  of  their  development,  would 
change  civilization  into  chaos.  In  every  successful  family  there  are 
certain  things  the  children,  especially  the  younger  ones,  know  it  would 
be  useless  to  ask  for. 

2.  At  the  same  time  it  is  being  demonstrated  every  year  that  the 
better  a  father  understands  the  forces  of  nature  and  the  laws  of  their 
action,  the  more  effectively  he  can  through  them  grant  the  requests  of 
his  children.      He  can  manufacture  ice  for  them  in  the  midst  of  the 
summer  heat.      Science  is  steadily  demonstrating  that  the  forces  of  nat- 
ure are,    to  a  certain  extent,    the   means  by   the  use  of  which  the 
Heavenly  Father  can  respond  to  His  children's  appeal. 

3.  Consider,  however,  that   almost   all  of  the  petitions  a  disciple 
ever   has    occasion   to  make  to  his  Father  can  be  answered  without 
recourse  to  the   so-called   laws  of  nature,  if  God  has  power  to  put  a 
thought  into  the  mind  of  man.      Suppose  that  the  disciple  wants  work 
or  money.      If  his  Father  has  power  to  put  an  appropriate  suggestion 
into  his  mind,  or  into  some  other  man's  mind,  or  into  the  minds  of 
both,  the  prayer  can  be  answered.      And  this  can  be  done  by  means 
of,  and  not  in  spite  of,  the  laws  of  mental  action.      We  are  able  to  put 
thoughts   into   each  other's  minds   by   means   of  words,  and  science 
seems  to  be  surely  demonstrating  the  fact  that  there  are  other  ways  of 
doing  it.     Jesus   simply   assumes  that  God   has  so  made  the  human 
mind  that  it  is  capable  of  an  interchange  of  thought  with  Himself,  its 
Heavenly  Father. 

At  this  point  recall  Jesus'  conception  of  the  relation  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  the  human  spirit,  presented  in  Study  XIX.  Read  again,  in 
the  light  of  this  thought,  Luke  12:11;  John  16  :  13. 

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4.    Consider  incidentally  the  career,  as  an  unconscious  answerer  of 
prayer,  open  to  a  disciple  living  in  association  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 

"  More  things  are  wrought  by  prayer 
Than  this  world  dreams  of." 

Consider  also  the  place  of  prayer  in  the  life  and  work  of  a  person 
engaged  in  scientific  research. 

"  Said  the  Master  to  the  youth  : 
4  We  have  come  in  search  of  truth, 
Trying  with  uncertain  key 
Door  by  door  of  mystery  j 
We  are  reaching,  through  His  laws, 
To  the  garment-hem  of  Cause, 
Him,  the  endless,  unbegun, 
The  Unnamable,  the  One 
Light  of  all  our  light  the  Source, 
Life  of  life,  and  Force  offeree. 
As  with  fingers  of  the  blind, 
We  are  groping  here  to  find 
What  the  hieroglyphics  mean 
Of  the  Unseen  in  the  seen, 
What  the  Thought  which  underlies 
Nature's  masking  and  disguise, 
What  it  is  that  hides  beneath 
Blight  and  bloom  and  birth  and  death. 
By  past  efforts  unavailing, 
Doubt  and  error,  loss  and  failing, 
Of  our  weakness  made  aware, 
On  the  threshold  of  our  task 
Let  us  light  and  guidance  ask, 
Let  us  pause  in  silent  prayer  !  * 

«*  Then  the  Master  in  his  place 
Bowed  his  head  a  little  space, 
And  the  leaves  by  soft  airs  stirred, 
Lapse  of  wave  and  cry  of  bird 
Left  the  solemn  hush  unbroken 
Of  that  wordless  prayer  unspoken, 
While  its  wish,  on  earth  unsaid, 
Rose  to  heaven  interpreted." 

Whittier,  The  Prayer  of  Agassiz. 


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STUDY  XXI. — JJefitta'  Conception  of  t&e  EHsciple  aa  a  JHan  oi 

Draper 

FIFTH    DAY  :    THE  DISCIPLE  PRAYING   TO  HIS  HEAVENLY 
FATHER  (CONCLUDED) 

1.  Read  again  Jesus'   great  call  to  prayer,  Matt.    7:7-11.      It  is 
sometimes  said  that  expectant  appeal  to  the  Heavenly  Father  for  the 
granting  of  definite  petitions  is  useless,  because,  if  the  things  asked  for 
are  to  happen,  they  will  happen  regardless  of  prayer.      The  practical 
invalidity  of  the  objection  becomes  evident  when  it  is  realized  that,  if  it 
were  true,  it  would  be  useless  to  ask  any  person  for  anything.    If  the 
occurrence  of  the  thing  you  ask  your  friend  to  do  is  in  God's  plan,  it 
will  happen  whether  you  ask  or  not.      Therefore  it  is  futile  to  ask  him 
to  do  you  the  favor.      No  one  acts  in  accordance  with  such  a  theory. 
On  the  contrary,  we  act  almost  every  hour  of  the  day  on  the  principle 
that  it  is  of  use  for  persons  to  ask  each  other  for  things.      Modern 
civilization,  as  it  becomes  more  complex,  is  increasingly  becoming  a 
vast  system  of  askings  and  receivings.     Jesus'  fundamental  position  is 
that  God  is  a  Person,  a  personal  Father,  and  that  this  great  principle  is 
operative  in  intercourse  with  Him  just  as  in  all  other  personal  inter- 
course.       Read   Jesus'   effective  illustration  of  this  thought    in    Luke 
ii  :  5-10.      Read  also  Matt.  7  :  8. 

2.  It  is  some  times  said  that  since  God  knows  what  is  for  our  good 
and    is    kindly    disposed,   He  will  give  us  good    things   without  our 
asking.      But  well-disposed  parents  often  wait  until  their  children  care 
enough   about   things  of  value  to  ask   for   them   before   giving  them. 
Furthermore,  it  seems  to  be  God's  policy  to  do  things  in  such  a  way 
as  to  give  to  His  children  the  largest  feasible  share  in  the  achievement. 
He  is  ambitious  for  His  children,  and  seems  to  propose  to  develop 
them  by  giving  them  a  large  and  responsible  share  in  His  achievements. 

Read  Jesus'  words  in  John  14:12.  An  illustration  of  this  princi- 
ple is  His  plan  for  the  evangelization  of  the  world  through  His  chil- 
dren. Real  prayer,  prayer  that  engages  the  whole  being  and  is  more 
than  the  mere  utterance  of  words,  is  an  output  of  spiritual  force  that 
constitutes  taking  a  share  in  God's  achievements.  It  is,  therefore, 
wholly  natural  that  He  should  wait  for  men  to  share  in  prayer  His 
great  achievements  before  carrying  them  on  to  completion. 

In  every  well-regulated  family  many  things  are  done  for  the  chil- 
dren without  their  asking  ;  other  things  are  refused  when  asked  for  ; 
but  some  things  are  done  only  when  and  because  they  are  asked  for. 

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STUDY  XXI.—  JJeatta*  Conception  of  t&e  £)ifidple  as  a  Jftan  of 

JJraper 

SIXTH    DAY  :   THE   FATHER'S   ENJOYMENT    IN    ANSWERING 
THE  DISCIPLE'S  PRAYER 

1 .  Prayer,  as  viewed  by  Jesus  from  the  standpoint  of  the  Father- 
hood of  God,  has  been  seen  to  be  an  intellectually  defensible  proceed- 
ing as  well  as  an  instinctive  cry  of  the  heart.       There    is  need  to 
emphasize  one  truth  that  is  involved  in  this  recognition  of  the  Father- 
hood of  God,  and  that  is  that  God  enjoys  answering  prayer.       A 
father  knows  no  greater  joy  than  that  which  results  from  giving  good 
things  to  his  children.      We  sometimes  have  a  feeling  that  there  is  a 
degree  of  disinclination  on  the  part  of  God,  which  can  be  overcome 
only  by  persistent  and  strenuous  appeal,  or  which  is  to  be  overcome 
through  the  intervention  of  Jesus.      Read  still  again  Matt.   7:7-11. 
Notice  the  "  how  much  more  "  (v.  1 1 ).      See  also  John  16  : 26,  27. 

2.  There  are,  however,  in  Luke's  Gospel  certain  statements  that 
seem,  at  first  reading,  to  represent  God  as  disinclined  to  grant  what  is 
asked  of  Him.      Read   18  :  1-8.      What  is  the  point  of  this  illustra- 
tion ?      Does  it  represent  God  as  like  the  weary  judge  ?     Notice  the 
three  expressions  in  vv.  7,  8  that  indicate  God's  attitude  toward  those 
who  are  praying  to  Him.     Yet  evidently  v.  I  indicates  that  it  is  a  per- 
sistent praying  to  which  Jesus  here  urges  His  disciples,  although  the 
reason  for  the  persistence  is  clearly  not  the  need  of  overcoming  any 
disinclination  or  lack  of  interest  on  God's  part.     The  situation  of  those 
who  are  praying  is  represented  as  peculiar.      They  are  in  danger  of 
"fainting"  (v.    i),  and  are  in  need  of  being  "avenged"   (v.  7). 
It  is  an  exhortation    then   to   those  who    are    suffering    persecution. 
They  are  urged  not  to  cease  calling  upon  God,  but  to  be  sure  that 
He  loves  them  and  will  come  to  their  relief  as  "speedily"   (v.   8) 
as  He  wisely  can. 

Read  again  Luke  11:5-13.  In  vv.  5-8  there  is  the  account  of  a 
man  who  was  trying  to  get  something  for  his  friend.  Does  Jesus  here 
represent  God  to  be  like  the  sleepy  neighbor  (vv.  9-12)  ?  Is  the 
man  more  deeply  interested  in  his  "  friend  "  than  God  is  ? 

3.  When  answer  to  prayer  is  delayed  it  is  always  for  some  other 
reason  than  that  God  is  unwilling  to  do  a  good  thing  for  His  children. 


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STUDY  XXI. — Jesus'  Conception  of  tie  SDisctple  aa  a  ^Han  of 

Jhaper 

SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

Review  the  work  of  the  week,  gathering  up  everything  that  has  been 
discovered  regarding  Jesus'  conception  of  prayer.  What  did  prayer 
mean  to  Jesus  in  His  own  experience  ?  What  does  Jesus  represent  to 
be  the  value  of  prayer  to  the  disciple  ?  What  is  the  attitude  of  God 
toward  a  praying  disciple  ? 

The  conditions  to  be  met  by  a  disciple  in  order  to  pray  as  his  Father 
would  like  to  see  him  pray,  and  the  objects  for  which  a  disciple  should 
pray,  will  be  considered  next  week. 

"  In  the  mind  of  God,  we  may  be  assured,  the  conception  of 
prayer  is  no  fiction,  whatever  man  may  think  of  it. 

"  It  has,  and  God  has  determined  that  it  should  have,  a  positive  and 
an  appreciable  influence  in  directing  the  course  of  a  human  life.  It  is, 
and  God  has  purposed  that  it  should  be,  a  link  of  connection  between 
human  mind  and  Divine  mind,  by  which,  through  His  infinite  conde- 
scension, we  may  actually  move  His  will.  It  is,  and  God  has  decreed 
that  it  should  be,  a  power  in  the  universe,  as  distinct,  as  real,  as  nat- 
ural, and  as  uniform,  as  the  power  of  gravitation,  or  of  light,  or  of 
electricity.  A  man  may  use  it,  as  trustingly  and  as  soberly  as  he  would 
use  either  of  these.  It  is  as  truly  the  dictate  of  good  sense,  that  a  man 
should  expect  to  achieve  something  by  praying,  as  it  is  that  he  should 
expect  to  achieve  something  by  a  telescope,  or  the  mariner's  compass, 
or  the  electric  telegraph. 

"  This  intense  practicalness  characterizes  the  scriptural  ideal  of 
prayer.  The  Scriptures  make  it  a  reality,  and  not  a  reverie.  They 
never  bury  it  in  the  notion  of  a  poetic  or  philosophic  contemplation  of 
God.  They  do  not  merge  it  in  the  mental  fiction  of  prayer  in  any 
other  action  or  all  other  action  or  duties  in  life.  They  have  not  con- 
cealed the  fact  of  prayer  beneath  the  mystery  of  prayer.  The  scrip- 
tural utterances  on  the  subject  of  prayer  admit  of  no  such  reduction  of 
tone,  and  confusion  of  sense,  as  men  often  put  forth  in  imitating  them. 
Up,  on  the  level  of  inspired  thought,  prayer  is  PRAYER — a  distinct, 
unique,  elemental  power  in  the  spiritual  universe,  as  pervasive  and  as 
constant  as  the  great  occult  powers  of  Nature." 

Austin  Phelps,  The  Still  Hour. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XXII.  —  %t*w?  Conception  o!  t&e  £Hg«ple  as  a  ^lan  of 

Draper 

(  Continued  ) 
FIRST  DAY  :  JESUS'  SHARING  THE  DISCIPLE'S  PRAYER 

1.  Jesus'  statements  regarding  God's  willingness  to  answer  prayer 
are  startlingly  broad  ;  but  a  close  inspection  of  them  shows  that  there 
are  always  conditions  attached.      God  does  not  unqualifiedly  put  Him- 
self at  every  man's  beck  and  call  ;  nor  does  He  make  gods  of  men. 

The  most  fundamental  and  comprehensive  statement  of  conditions  is 
found  in  John's  Gospel.  Read  15:7.  What  is  meant  by  "  abide  in 
me  "  ?  "  Abide  '  '  conveys  the  idea  of  steady  residence,  and  such 
residence,  when  two  personalities  are  concerned,  involves  entire  agree- 
ment. Christ  constitutes  the  man's  environment  ;  and  there  is  entire 
adaptation  to  the  environment. 

What  is  it  for  His  "  words  "  to  "  abide  in"  the  disciple?  A 
word  is  an  expression  of  a  thought,  a  message  from  a  mind.  What 
then  is  it  for  the  messages  of  Jesus  to  be  received  and  kept  in  the  mind 
of  a  disciple  ? 

2.  Notice  another  way  of  wording  the  condition  in  John  14:13,14; 
1  6  :  26.      In  Hebrew  usage  the  name  stands  for  the  personality.      To 
ask  "in  His  name  "  is  not  to  append  the  phrase  to  the  prayer,  but  to 
be  in  the  close,  vital  connection  with  the  personality  of  Jesus  described 
in  i  5  :  7  . 

That  is,  the  disciple  who  has  this  promise  made  to  him  is  one  who 
is  so  intimately  associated  with  his  Lord  that  he  shares  his  Lord's  pur- 
poses and  spirit  ;  and  bis  Lord  shares  the  disciple's  prayer.  The 
Great  Pray-er  (See  Study  XXI,  First  and  Second  Days)  unites  with 
His  disciple  in  a  partnership  of  prayer.  See  how  this  thought  seems  to 
underlie  the  remarkable  statement  in  Matt.  18  :  19,  20,  particularly 
the  last  clause  of  v.  20.  It  is  the  presence  of  the  Great  Pray-er  in  the 
midst  of  the  group  so  lovingly  disposed  toward  each  other  as  to  be 
thoroughly  in  harmony  with  Him,  that  makes  the  prayer  effective. 

3.  The  word  "abide"  implies  that  effective  prayer  springs  out  of 
a  certain  kind  of  life.      The  condition  is  not  one  that  can  be  met  for  a 
few  moments  of  prayer  and  then  refused. 

While  our  acquaintance  with  Jesus  is  deepening  we  lay  all  our  hopes, 
fears,  and  desires  in  simplicity  before  our  Father,  even  though  we  are 
not  sure  that  they  are  yet  such  as  can  be  shared  by  Jesus  to  the  extent 
implied  in  these  chapters  of  John's  Gospel. 

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STUDY  XXII. — 3featu5'  Conception  of  t&e  Disciple  a*  a  ;pan  of 

Draper 

(  Continued) 

SECOND  DAY  :  THE  DISCIPLE  PRAYING  IN  SYMPATHY  WITH 

HIS  LORD 

1.  It   remains  to  determine   whether   more  specific   statements  are 
made  by  Jesus  of  what  is  involved  in  the  general  condition  of  effective 
prayer  discovered  yesterday  in  John  15:7. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  this  condition  of  fellowship  with  Jesus 
involves  the  readiness  of  the  disciple  to  do  whatever  his  Lord  will  have 
him  do  ;  and  also  to  have,  or  not  to  have,  the  thing  prayed  for,  ac- 
cording as  his  Lord  may  prefer.  A  man  who  is  persistent  in  what  he 
knows  he  ought  not  to  do,  or  in  a  preference  that  his  Lord  cannoi 
share,  cannot  have  the  fellowship  with  his  Lord  out  of  which  effec- 
tive prayer  springs. 

2.  Note    in    Matt.    6:33    and  its  context   another   specification. 
Jesus'  fundamental  ambition  is  to  establish  the  civilization  of  the  King> 
dom  of  Heaven  upon  the  earth.      The  disciple  who  would  live  in  in- 
timate fellowship  with  Him,  must,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  share  thia 
supreme  ambition.      If  Jesus  is  to  share  his  prayer  it  must  be  a  prayer 
for  something  related  to  the  Kingdom  of  God.      It  may  be  for  educa- 
tion, or  work,  or  success  in  business,  but  for  these  things  as  a  means 
toward   increased  efficiency  in  the   establishment  of  the   Kingdom  oi 
Heaven. 

This  eliminates  all  purely  selfish  prayer.  The  righteousness  of  tha 
Kingdom  (Matt.  6  :  33),  on  its  manward  side,  consists  in  brotherli- 
ness,  which  is  the  opposite  of  selfishness.  Jesus  could  not  share  prayei 
offered  in  a  spirit  of  indifference  to  His  other  disciples,  the  other  chil-. 
dren  in  the  family  of  the  Father. 

3 .  Read  the  condition  in  Mark  11:25.      It  is  of  course  true  that 
Jesus   could  not  be  in   fellowship  with  one  who  has  an  unforgiving 
spirit.      He  could  not  share  a  grudge,  and  so  could  be  no  partner  in 
the  prayer  of  the  unforgiving  man. 

4.  Read  also  Mark   1 1  :  24.      This  can  scarcely  mean  that  a  per- 
son shall   strain  himself  to   believe  without   evidence  that    God    has 
already  decided  to   give  him  the   thing   he  has  just  asked   for.      Such 
assurance,  it  would  seem,  could  only  be  attained  as  the  result  of  some 
inward  intimation  from  his  great  Associate  in  prayer.     It  does  imply 

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a  very  vivid  sense  of  the  presence  of  God  and  of  His  alertness  to 
hear  and  answer  prayer.  It  is  the  very  opposite  of  the  spirit  that 
asks  for  things  thoughtlessly,  in  conventional  prayer-meeting  language, 
without  any  idea  that  they  will  ever  be  granted  ;  or  for  things  that  the 
pray-er  would  not  be  willing  to  receive  if  they  should  be  given  him. 

5.  That  which  perhaps  most  frequently  prevents  our  prayers  from 
being  such  as  can  be  shared  by  Jesus,  is  their  selfishness.  The  Holy 
Spirit  is  sometimes  prayed  for  because  His  presence  is  thought  to  be 
essential  to  the  pre-eminence  we  desire  in  Christian  work.  We 
think  only  of  ourselves  in  this  prayer,  and  do  not  equally  desire  His 
presence  in  the  lives  of  those  associated  with  us  in  our  work.  The 
prayer  which  Jesus  shares,  whatever  be  the  thing  prayed  for,  must  be 
one  that  takes  others  into  account.  Indeed,  God  seems  to  try  to  com- 
pel us  to  take  account  of  others  by  knitting  our  lives  so  closely  to- 
gether with  theirs  that  oftentimes  we  cannot  get  from  God  what  we 
want  for  ourselves  except  as  it  comes  from  Him  through  others. 

"A  tourist,  in  climbing  an  Alpine  summit,  finds  himself  tied  by  a 
strong  rope  to  his  trusty  guide,  and  to  three  of  his  fellow-tourists.  As 
they  skirt  a  perilous  precipice,  and  he  seeks  God's  protection  along 
that  dizzy  height,  he  cannot  pray  confidently,  «  Lord,  hold  up  my  go- 
ings in  a  safe  path,  that  my  footsteps  slip  not,  but  as  to  my  guide  and 
companions,  they  must  look  out  for  themselves.  Each  of  us  is  re- 
sponsible for  himself  alone.'  The  only  proper  prayer  in  such  a  case 
is,  *  Lord,  hold  up  our  goings  in  a  safe  path,  that  our  footsteps  slip 
not.  Guide  our  guide,  and  keep  all  of  us  steady  ;  for  if  one  of  us  slips 
all  of  us  may  perish.*  Nor  is  this  Swiss  mountain-climbing  the  only 
thing  in  which  we  stand  or  fall  with  our  fellow-travellers. 

"  Prayer  for  ourselves  includes  prayer  for  others,  when  we  are  sick 
and  trust  ourselves  to  a  physician.  If  we  ask  God's  help,  we  must 
ask  it  for  our  doctor  also.  If  we  pray  for  protection  on  an  ocean 
voyage,  our  prayers  should  be  for  the  captain  and  engineer  of  our 
steamer  as  well  as  for  ourselves,  in  order  that  God  may  give  us  safety. 
Prayer  for  our  daily  bread  involves  prayer  for  the  cook  or 
baker,  who  might  give  us  poison  in  our  food." 

H.  Clay  Trumbull,  Prayer ;  its  Nature  and  Scope. 


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STUDY  XXII. — 3>*tta'  Conception  of  t&e  EHactpfc  as  a  $flan  of 

JJraper 

(  Continued} 
THIRD   DAY  :  THE  DISCIPLE  PRAYING  IN  SECRET 

1 .  One  of  the  chief  ailments  of  the  religious  life  in  Jesus'  day  was 
its  intense  itching  for  notice.      Read  Matt.    6:5,  6,   and  the  con- 
text, vv.    2- 1 6.      The  Pharisee's  real  petition  was  addressed,  not  to 
God,  but  to  men,  and  was  simply,  "  See  me  pray  !  " 

This  spirit  was  absolutely  destructive  of  the  real  essence  of  prayer, 
namely,  personal  address  to  God.  Jesus,  therefore,  suggested  an 
arrangement  by  which  the  disciple  would  be  "  seen  "  by  but  one  per- 
son, and  would  know  that  he  was  seen  by  no  other.  He  was  to  go 
into  the  inner  room  of  the  house,  shut  the  door,  and  pray  there. 
Then  he  could  be  in  large  measure  himself,  and  could  concentrate 
attention  on  one  person. 

Through  secret  prayer,  as  through  no  other  means,  the  faculty  by 
which  we  apprehend  the  presence  of  an  unseen  Father  has  a  chance  to 
grow  by  exercise. 

2.  The  result  of  such  secret  interviews  with  God  is  represented  by 
Jesus,  in  language  appropriate  to  the  commercially  religious  spirit  of 
the  Pharisee,  as  "recompense"  (v.    6).      What  did  Jesus  mean  by 
this  ?     What  "  recompense  "  is  there  for  one  who  goes  apart,  and  is 
not  seen  by  men  to  be  praying  ?     In  considering  this  question,  think 
again  of  Jesus'   habit  of  being  alone  in  prayer.      What  good  did  it  do 
Him  to  pray  alone  ?      Glance  for  a  moment  at  the  instances  of  Jesus' 
secret  prayer,  mentioned  in  Study  XXI,  First  and  Second  Days,  and 
see  what  the  effect  of  them  seems  to  have  been. 

3.  The  very  heart  of  prayer  consists  in  the  sense  of  the  presence  of 
God.      Prayer  is  not  meditation  or  soliloquy,  but  a  meeting  with  An- 
other.     That  Other  is  not  an  impassive,  unresponsive  personality,  a 
spiritualized  idol,  but   a   Live   God,  who  listens,  and   whose  feelings 
and  thoughts  as  He  listens  to  prayer  are  said  by  Jesus  to  be  those  of  a 
Father.      These  feelings  and  thoughts  move  toward  His  praying  child. 
Prayer  is  an  interview  in  which  there  is  an  interchange  of  thought  and 
an  interplay  of  feeling. 


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STUDY  XXII.— %t*u*'  Conception  of  t&e  SDtectple  a*  a  ;ffan  of 

Draper 

(  Continued} 
FOURTH  DAY  :  SUBJECTS  OF  THE  DISCIPLE'S  PRAYER 

1 .  Does   the  teaching  of  Jesus  contain  any  directions  regarding  the 
things  for  which  the  disciple  ought  to  pray  ?     Some  of  Jesus'  disciples 
had   previously  been  disciples  of  John  the   Baptist  (John    I  :  3 5-42), 
and  had   greatly  enjoyed  the  many   forms  of  prayer  that  John  had 
taught  his  disciples.      One  of  them,  therefore,  requested  Jesus  to  imi- 
tate John  in  this  particular.      Read  Luke    1 1  :  I  ;    5:33.      The  type 
of  life  cultivated  by  Jesus  among  His  disciples  had  been  far  less  austere 
than  that  of  John's  company,  and  probably  seemed  to  casual  observers, 
accustomed   to   the    formalism    prevalent   among   the   religious   leaders 
(Matt.  6:5,  1 6),  to  be  far  less  prayerful.      Read  again  Luke  5:33. 
His  own  disciples  did  not  realize  that,  while  slowly  bringing  them  into 
sympathy  with   Himself,  He  was  laying  deep  and  strong  foundations 
for  lives  of  prayer  such  as  John  could  not  secure  in  his  disciples.      And 
so,   perhaps,  it  came  about  that  this  unnamed  disciple  in  Luke  1 1  :  I 
tried  to  stimulate  Jesus  by  citing  John's  example.     Jesus  appreciated 
the  man's  point  of  view  and  responded.      His  response  was  probably 
at   the   time   disappointing    to   the   Twelve,    who   doubtless   expected 
something   more   elaborate.      It  was  a  list  of  topics  of  prayer,   and 
seems,  because  of  the  two  forms  in  which  it  has  come  down  to  us,  not 
to  have  had  one  fixed  form  from  the  beginning.      Read  Matt.  6:9-13 
and  Luke    1 1  :  2-4.      The  value  of  this  list  of  topics  as  a  guide  in 
prayer  has  been  increasingly  realized. 

2.  Take  it  up  clause  by  clause  in  the  form  found  in  Matt.  6  19-13, 
considering  first  v.  9.     What  is  the  attitude  of  the  pray-er  toward  God 
and  toward  men  as  indicated  in  the  first  two  words  ? 

When  a  friend  or  relative  takes  up  his  residence  in  a  far  country,  our 
world  of  thought  at  once  enlarges  to  include  that  country.  What  is  in- 
dicated by  the  whole  first  clause  as  to  the  disciple's  sphere  of  existence? 

What  does  the  word  "hallowed"  mean?  Remember  that 
"name  "  is  equivalent  to  person.  Exactly  what  is  the  disciple  pray- 
ing for  in  this  clause  ? 

What  does  the  second  petition  mean  ?  Is  the  third  petition  (v.  10) 
an  explication  of  the  second  ?  Take  time  to  picture  to  yourself  what 
the  result  in  civilization  will  be,  when  this  part  of  the  prayer  is  answered. 
What  is  implied  as  to  the  disciple's  own  effort  to  answer  this  prayer? 

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STUDY  XXII.  —  *$*&!&'  Conception  of  t&e  IDiaciple  a*  a  JHan  of 

JJraper 

(  Continued) 

FIFTH  DAY:    SUBJECTS  OF  THE  DISCIPLE'S  PRAYER    (CON- 

CLUDED) 

1.  Continue    the    study  of  Matt.    6:9-13.      Do    you    note    any 
change  in  the  general  character  of  the  petitions  beginning  with  v.   I  I  ? 
Is  it  literal  bread  that  is  meant  in  v.  1  1  ?     Does  it  include  anything 
else  ?     If  so,  what  sort  of  things  does  it  include  ?    Note  in  the  marginal 
reading  the  period  of  time  for  which  God  is  asked  to  make  provision. 
It  is  an  arrangement  designed  to  bring  a  man  to  his  Father  each  day. 

Is  there  any  indication  in  vv.  9-11  as  to  the  relation  between 
prayer  for  our  personal  needs  and  that  for  the  Kingdom  of  God  ? 

2.  The  petition  in  v.  12,  and  the  necessary  connection  between  its 
two  parts  have  already  been  considered  in  the  discussion  of  forgiveness 
in  Study  XX. 

3.  The    petition  in  the  first  half  ot  v.  13   seems  strange.      Does 
"our  Father"  bring  us  into  temptation?     Temptation  is  certainly  one 
feature  of  the  situation  in  which  He  has  placed  us,  and   temptation 
resisted  is  evidently  a  valuable  means  of  establishing  right  character.    It 
is  equally  certain  that  our  Father  does  not  wish  His  children  to   yield 
to  temptation.      The   significance  of  the  petition  seems  to  consist  in 
emphasizing  the  appropriate  attitude  of  the  disciple  toward  the  tempta- 
tions that  are  present  in  God's  world.      He  is  very  distrustful  of  him- 
self, and   keenly  alive  to  the  awful  calamity  involved  in   yielding  to 
temptation.      He  knows  his  weakness.      He  does  not,  like  an  over- 
confident child,  recklessly  ask  his  Father  to  send  him  out  into  tempta- 
tion ;  but  he  prays  rather  for  deliverance  from  the  attacks  of  evil.      It 
is  the  language  of  one  who  wishes  to  keep  out  of  clearly  recognized 
danger,  but  who,  when  he  finds  himself  in  it,  trusts  in  God  for  deliv- 
erance and  conducts  himself  with  a  royal  courage. 

Picture  to  yourself  the  scene  in  Mark  14  :  32-40,  and  note  the  two 
ways  of  meeting  temptation.  However  difficult  it  may  be  to  under- 
stand in  detail  the  situation  of  Jesus,  there  seems  clearly  to  have  been 
something  of  temptation  in  it.  The  disciples  also  were  in  the  pres- 
ence of  temptation.  Look  first  at  the  form  of  Jesus  alone  under  the 
trees  (vv.  35,  36),  and  then  across  at  the  drowsy  disciples  (v.  37). 
What  does  Jesus  teach  here,  by  word  and  example,  regarding  the 
relation  of  prayer  to  the  meeting  of  temptation  (v.  38)  ? 

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STUDY  XXII. — Jesus'  Conception  of  t(je  SDisciple  as  a  ^Han  of 

jhaper 

(  Continuea) 

SIXTH     DAY  :     THE    DISCIPLE    SHARING     JESUS'    PRAYER 
FOR  OTHERS 

1.  One  thing  which  has  been  steadily  implied  in  the  study  of  this 
subject  needs  to  be  brought  out  distinctly  before  leaving  it,  namely, 
that  Jesus'  partnership  with  the  disciple  in  prayer  involves  the  disci- 
ple's sharing  Jesus'  prayer  for  others.      We  have  seen  that  no  prayer 
which  Jesus  can  reasonably  be  expected  to  share  can  ignore  others. 
Everything  that  one  asks  for  himself  must  be  in  full  view  of  the  needs 
of  others,  and  of  his  own  relation   to  them.      What  is  now  to  be  con- 
sidered is  the  extension  of  this  spirit  to   include  positive   prayer  for 
others. 

2.  Read  John  17  rapidly  through,  in  order  to  hear  Jesus  praying  for 
His  disciples,  and  so  to  get  an  idea  of  the  character  of  the  praying  for 
others  that  the  disciple  is  to  share.      What  petitions  for  others  are  there 
in  this  prayer  that  might  be  shared  by  a  disciple  ? 

3.  It  is  not  simply  in  prayer  for  other  disciples  that  the  disciple  joins 
Jesus.      There  is  one  expression  in  v.  9  that  is  possibly  significant. 
Consider  whether  the  expression,  '« I  pray  not  for  the  world,"  means 
"  I  do  not  now  pray  for  the  world,"  and  implies  that  it  was  His  habit 
to  pray  for  the  world.      We  know  that   He  regarded  His  death  to  be 
of  significance  to  the  world,  and  that  it  was  for  love  of  the  world  that 
He  died   (cf.  John  3  :  16).      It  is  hardly  conceivable  that  such  love 
should  not  express  itself  in  prayer.      He  certainly  distinctly  enjoined 
such   love  and  prayer  upon  His  disciples.      Read  Matt.  5  : 44.      To 
what  extent  is  prayer  for  the  world  enjoined  in  Matt.  6  :  I  o  ? 

*'  For  what  are  men  better  than  sheep  or  goats 
That  nourish  a  blind  life  within  the  brain, 
If,  knowing  God,  they  lift  not  hands  of  prayer 
Both  for  themselves  and  those  who  call  them  friend  ? 
For  so  the  whole  round  earth  is  every  way 
Bound  by  gold  chains  about  the  feet  of  God." 

Tennyson,  The  Passing  of  Arthur. 


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STUDY  XXII.—  ;je*tu<'  Conception  of  t&e  £>tetipu  as  a  ;flftaK  of 

fltaper 

(  Concluded*) 
SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

i  .  Gather  up  what  has  been  discovered  regarding  the  conditions  to  be 
met  by  the  disciple  who  would  pray  effectively  ;  the  objects  for  which 
Jesus  would  have  him  pray  ;  and  the  relation  of  the  disciple's  secret 
prayer  to  his  life  in  the  open. 

We  need  constantly  to  remember  that  it  is  by  virtue  of  our  disciple- 
ship  that  we  have  the  great  opportunity  for  such  prayer  as  has  been 
considered  in  these  two  studies.  It  is  because  Jesus  draws  us  near  to 
His  own  person,  and  shares  with  us  increasingly,  as  we  are  able  to 
grow  into  it,  His  own  spirit  of  prayer  and  His  own  sense  of  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Father  which  is  the  basis  of  all  prayer.  It  is  particularly 
important  that  through  intimate  association  with  Jesus  we  come  to  share 
His  desires.  The  real  problem  of  learning  to  pray  is  the  problem  of 
awakening  an  unselfish  desire,  for  prayer  is  the  natural  expression  of 
sincere  and  unselfish  desire.  The  reason  we  do  not  pray  more  for  the 
things  that  interest  Jesus  is  because  we  do  not  really  care  enough  about 
them  to  pray  for  them.  If  our  imaginations  can  be  so  quickened  that 
we  see  the  vision  of  the  heavenly  civilization  on  earth,  or  of  the  selfish 
man  transformed  into  a  brotherly  man,  then  we  shall  begin  to  desire 
these  things  and  to  pray  for  them. 

One  cannot  desire  at  will,  but  he  can  will  to  use  the  means  neces- 
sary to  create  a  desire.  He  can  will  to  discover,  and  give  attention  to, 
such  facts  as  beget  desire.  He  can  study  the  teaching  of  Jesus  until 
he  begins  to  see  the  vision  that  Jesus  saw,  "that  he  who  sees  forgets 
nevermore  "  ;  he  can  acquaint  himself  with  the  inspiring  record  of 
transformations  of  civilization  here  and  there  in  so-called  heathen  coun- 
tries ;  he  can  take  pains  to  learn  of  transformations  in  the  lives  of  in- 
dividuals, such  as  are  known  to  any  man  who  has  long  been  connected 
with  city  missions  ;  he  can  take  time  to  be  alone  and  "  practise  the 
presence  of  God  "  ;  he  can  habitually  think  of  Jesus  as  associated  with 
him  in  prayer,  and  make  only  such  petitions  as  he  thinks  Jesus  would 
endorse.  He  can  ask  Jesus  to  teach  him  in  these  and  other  ways  how 
to  pray,  for  Jesus  is  evidently  ambitious  that  His  disciples  should  learn 
to  join  Him  in  His  great  ministry  of  prayer. 


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STUDY  XXIII.  —  %t&v6'  Conception  of  tlje  iDiaciple  (KjctenUinff  t&e 

of 


FIRST  DAY:  DISCIPLES  TO  BE  EMPLOYED  IN  EXTENDING 
THE  KINGDOM 

1.  As  has  been  clearly  seen,  Jesus  phrased  His  great  hope  of  good 
for  men  in  the  current  Jewish   expression  the  "  Kingdom  of  God." 
It  remains  to  consider  what  part  Jesus  assigned  to  His  disciples  in  the 
realization  of  the  ideal  expressed  by  this  phrase. 

From  the  beginning  He  endeavored  to  reproduce  in  the  Twelve 
some  measure  of  His  own  deep  interest  in  men.  Read  Matt.  4  :  19, 
and  consider  what  Jesus  really  meant  by  these  words.  Is  it  legitimate 
to  see  in  Matt.  6:33  anything  more  than  an  injunction  to  seek  each 
for  himself  to  be  in  the  Kingdom  and  live  its  righteous  life  ? 

2.  As  time  passed  it  began  to  be  evident  that  He  proposed  to  give 
to  the  Twelve  a  share  in  the  kind  of  work  He  was  Himself  doing. 
Read  Matt.  10  :  1-8. 

At  the  close  of  this  Galilean  synagogue  campaign,  in  which  the 
Twelve  took  some  active  part,  it  became  evident  that  the  religious 
leaders  of  the  nation  were  against  Him,  and  that  there  was  much  to 
discourage  Him.  See  Matt.  12  :  14,  24,  38-45.  Yet  Jesus  manifested 
in  the  face  of  this  opposition  the  utmost  confidence  in  the  ultimate  suc- 
cess of  the  enterprise.  Read  Matt.  13  131,  32.  Note  also  the  con- 
fidence of  the  farmer,  who  sleeps  soundly  at  night  and  goes  tranquilly 
about  his  business  by  day,  when  his  seed  is  once  in  the  soil,  Mark 
4  :  26-29.  The  question  is,  What  was  the  source  of  Jesus'  confi- 
dence in  the  coming  of  His  Kingdom  ?  What  had  He  done  that  was 
comparable  with  the  putting  of  seed  in  the  ground  ?  What  had  Jesus 
put  into  the  world  that  was  like  yeast  in  meal,  Matt.  13:33? 

These  parables  are  not  explained  in  their  context  ;  but  in  the  ex- 
planation of  another  parable,  found  in  Matt.  13,  there  occurs  a  sug- 
gestive phrase  indicating  what  Jesus  regarded  as  the  living  seed  that 
would  multiply  into  a  world-harvest.  Read  carefully  Matt.  13  :  38. 

We  shall  have  soon  to  raise  the  question,  What  was  it  in  this  small 
group  of  Syrian  Jews  that  made  Jesus  reckon  them  so  valuable  a  part 
of  His  resources  ?  Note  now  simply  that  they  were  so  reckoned. 

3  .  The  most  distinct  statement  of  Jesus'  purpose  to  rely  upon  His 
disciples  for  the  realization  of  His  ideal  is  found  in  Matt.  28  :  18-20  ; 
Acts  i  :  8. 

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STUDY  XXIII.—  JJetftw'  Conception  of  t&e  Disciple  Cfrtenfcina;  t&e 

of 


SECOND  DAY  :   THE  DISCIPLES  PRESERVING  AND  ENLIGHT- 
ENING THE  WORLD 

1.  It   was   seen  yesterday   that  Jesus    counted   His  disciples  as  a 
prominent  part  of  the  resources   at  His  disposal  for  the  realization  of 
His  ideal  of  civilization.      A  more  specific  statement  to  this  effect  is 
made  in   Matt.  5  :  13-16.      What  is  meant  here  by  calling  the  dis- 
ciples "salt  "  ?      It  is  evidently  not  the  use  of  salt  in  small  portions 
for  seasoning  food  that  Jesus  had  in  mind,  but  rather  its  use  in  large 
quantities  such   as  could   be   sometimes  thrown  away  and   "  trodden 
under  foot  of  men."      He  probably  had  in  mind  the  pickling  offish, 
which  was  an  important  industry  about  the  sea  of  Gaiilee,  and  in  con- 
nection with  which  large  quantities  of  salt  would  be  used  or  sometimes 
might  spoil  and  be  thrown  away.      The  question  then  is,  What  is  the 
relation  of  the  disciples  to  the  civilization  of  the  world  that  makes  it 
suitable  to  regard  them  as   "  salt  "  ?     What  is  the  effect  of  their  pres- 
ence upon  the  civilization  of  the  world  ?     Try  to  think  this  through 
in  some  detail  in  the  case  of  the  life  of  a  single  community. 

2.  What  does  Jesus  mean  in  this  paragraph  by  calling  the  disciples 
the  "  light  of  the  world  "  ?     In  what  respect  is  the  personality  of  the 
disciple  a  "light  "  shining  "unto  all  that  are  in  the  house  "  (v.  15)? 
How  are  the  others  morally  better  off  than  they  would  be  if  the  dis- 
ciple were  not  there  ? 

3.  The  following  words  were  written  by  some  unknown  author  in 
the  second  century  whose  letter  to  an  inquiring  Pagan  friend  is  one  of 
the  most  dignified  of  the  post-apostolic  writings  : 

"  What  the  soul  is  in  the  body,  that  are  Christians  in  the  world. 
The  soul  is  dispersed  through  all  the  members  of  the  body,  and 
Christians  are  scattered  through  all  the  cities  of  the  world.  The  soul 
dwells  in  the  body,  yet  is  not  of  the  body  ;  and  Christians  dwell  in 
the  world,  yet  are  not  of  the  world.  .  .  The  soul  is  imprisoned 
in  the  body,  yet  preserves  that  very  body  ;  and  Christians  are  confined 
in  the  world  as  in  a  prison,  and  yet  they  are  the  preservers  of  the 
world.  The  immortal  soul  dwells  in  a  mortal  tabernacle  ;  and 
Christians  dwell  as  sojourners  in  corruptible  [bodies],  looking  for  an 
incorruptible  dwelling  in  the  heavens.'* 

The  Epistle  to  Diognetus. 

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STUDY  XXIII.—  ^efittfi'  Conception  of  tfje  EHcciple  (EptenUinff  tje 

of 


THIRD  DAY  :    THE    DISCIPLES  PRESERVING  AND  ENLIGHT- 
ENING THE  WORLD  (CONCLUDED) 

I  .  We  have  seen  the  importance  attached  by  Jesus  to  the  presence 
of  His  disciples  in  the  world.  It  remains  to  ask  the  fundamental  ques- 
tion, What  was  there  about  the  person  and  life  of  the  disciples  that 
made  Jesus  consider  them  to  be  so  serviceable  in  the  accomplishment  of 
His  great  enterprise  ?  What  were  the  qualities  that  made  them  seem 
to  Him  like  "seed,"  "yeast,"  "salt,"  "light"?  At  least  a  par- 
tial answer  to  this  question  may  be  gained  in  the  statements  of  Matt. 
5:3-12,  which  immediately  precede  the  paragraph  considered  yes- 
terday. One  needs  to  inquire  regarding  such  of  these  statements  as 
bear  upon  the  matter  in  hand  exactly  what  the  quality  mentioned  is  ; 
whether  it  tends  to  keep  society  from  disintegration  ;  and  whether  it 
tends  positively  to  increase  the  number  of  those  who  have  the  spirit  of 
the  Kingdom,  or  to  intensify  it  in  those  who  already  have  its  beginnings. 
Jesus'  plan,  of  course,  was  not  confined  to  the  mere  preservation  of 
society  from  decay,  but  involved  the  transformation  of  society,  through 
the  renovation  of  its  individual  members,  into  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

2.  Take  up  vv.  3-12  sentence  by  sentence  as  suggested  above. 
"Poor  in  spirit"  (v.  3)  may  designate  those  who  are  in  spirit  as 
though  poor,  whose  spirits  are  humble.  The  "meek"  (v.  5)  are 
those  who  hold  themselves  ready  to  serve.  The  "righteousness"  of 
the  Kingdom  (v.  6)  has  been  seen  in  Part  I  to  be  "  love,"  manifest- 
ing itself  Godward  in  a  filial  spirit  and  manward  in  brotherliness. 

3  .  Jesus  seems  to  regard  the  simple  presence  in  the  world  of  a  com- 
pany of  persons  conspicuously  characterized  by  these  qualities  as  a  prop- 
agating agency.  The  result  is  stated  by  Jesus  in  v.  16.  The  sig- 
nificance of  the  parable  of  the  yeast  in  the  meal  (  Matt.  13  :  33)  seems 
to  be  that  each  leavened  particle  quietly  imparts  its  characteristic  to  its 
neighbor,  simply  by  virtue  of  being  near  its  neighbor.  Behind  the 
process  is  God  vitalizing  the  relationship.  Note  the  clear  statement  of 
this  in  the  Gospel  of  John,  17:21.  The  sight  of  a  company  of  peo- 
ple conspicuous  for  the  sincerity  and  love  which  characterize  their  re- 
lations to  each  other,  is  what  will  finally  convince  the  world  of  the 
reality  of  the  mission  of  Jesus. 


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STUDY  XXIII.  —  %t8u*'  Conception  of  tlje  SDtfiictple  Cj;tentJtns  tjje 

of 


FOURTH  DAY  :    THE    DISCIPLES    OVERCOMING   EVIL  WITH 

GOOD 

I  .  It  was  not  simply  the  silent  influence  upon  the  world  of  a  com- 
pany of  people  conspicuous  for  their  love  of  each  other  that  made  Jesus 
consider  them  a  propagating  agency.  He  thought  of  the  disciples  as 
bringing  the  power  of  their  unselfish  love  to  bear  directly  upon  the  life 
of  the  world  itself.  The  most  conspicuous  and  startling  instance  of 
this  is  the  treatment  Jesus  expected  them  to  accord  their  so-called 
"  enemies/'  Read  Luke  6  :  27-36.  Consider  what  an  "  enemy" 
is.  Imagine  some  concrete  cases  of  real  modern  enmity.  Consider 
also  what  the  expression  "  to  do  good"  means;  and  "  to  bless"  ; 
and  "  to  pray  for." 

The  sentences  that  follow  (vv.  29,  30)  describe,  in  language  not 
easily  to  be  forgotten,  certain  picturesque  manifestations  of  the  spirit 
Jesus  is  inculcating.  It  is  an  impressive  way  of  protesting  against  resent- 
ment. There  is  no  virtue  whatever  in  doing  these  particular  things  ex- 
cept as  they  are  expressions  of  love  for,  or  interest  in,  the  "  enemy," 
and  if  the  real  desire  to  benefit  the  enemy  exists,  doubtless  it  may  often 
express  itself  in  other  ways  than  these.  The  characteristic  of  this  family, 
Father  and  sons,  is  a  merciful  spirit  (vv.  35,  36).  Just  as  the  love  of 
God  overcomes  the  sin  of  men,  so  will  the  love  of  the  sons  of  God. 
The  whole  family  is  engaged  in  overcoming  evil  with  good. 

2.  This  propagating    love  is  often  spoken  of  as  expressing  itself  in 
showing  kindness  to  another  class  of  persons,  as  likely  to  go  unloved  as 
are  enemies,  though  for  a  different  reason,  namely,  the  helpless.      As 
an  instance  of  this  read  Jesus'  table-talk  regarding  the  use  of  the  home, 
Luke  14  :  12-14,  and  its  context  vv.  1-15. 

3.  In  the   disciples'   daily  intercourse  with  the  world  the  love  of 
God  gets  into  all  the  cracks  and  crevices  of  the  world's  life.      On 
every  hand  are  those  who  have  sorrows,  burdens,  sicknesses,  remorse, 
fear,  and  moral  weakness.      To  all  these  the  disciple  comes  in  honesty 
and  love  with  his  ministry  of  the  love  of  God. 

"  But  I  hear  around  me  sighs  of  pain 

And  the  cry  of  fear, 

And  a  sound  like  the  slow  sad  dropping  of  rain, 
Each  drop  a  tear  !" 

Whittier,  My  Soul  and  I. 
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STUDY  XXIII.—  ^esttfi'  Conception  of  t&e  £>i«iple  ^ttnUtng:  tbe 

of 


FIFTH  DAY:   THE   DISCIPLE    REPORTING   HIS    EXPERIENCE 

1.  In  addition  to  the  quiet  but  mighty  influence  of  the  disciple's 
character  and  life  as  a  means  of  extending  the  Kingdom,  Jesus  empha- 
sized the  disciple's  verbal  testimony.      By  this  is  meant  the  report  of  an 
experience.      As  some  one  has  said,  we  are  not    advocates  but  wit- 
nesses.     Glance  rapidly  over   Mark  5  :  1-17  and  read  carefully  vv. 
18-20. 

A  sincere  man  testifying  out  of  his  experience  that  he  has  found  in 
Jesus  the  all-powerful  Christ,  is  the  rock  upon  which  the  Church 
rests.  See  Matt.  16  :  13-18.  No  plot  laid  in  the  dark  gateway  of 
hell  can  ever  prevail  against  such  testimony  (v.  18).  Read  further 
Luke  24  :  44-49  ;  Matt.  28  :  19,  20  ;  Acts  I  :  8,  as  indications  of  the 
number  of  those  to  whom  the  report  of  experience  is  to  be  given. 

2.  Jesus  lays  stress  upon  the  publicity  of  the  report.      Read  the 
strong  language  in  Matt.  10  :  27,  and  note  the  strenuous  tone  of  vv. 
22,  23  in  the  context. 

To  attempt  to  live  the  life  of  a  disciple  without  letting  it  be  known 
that  disciplcship  is  the  explanation  of  the  life  would  not  merely  de- 
prive Jesus  of  the  credit  due  to  Him,  but  would  be  fatally  misleading 
to  others.  It  would  tend  to  create  in  their  minds  the  impression  that 
such  a  life  could  be  lived  without  connection  with  Jesus  Christ. 

3.  It  seems  to  be  the  policy  of  Jesus  to  have  His  Kingdom  extended 
through  the  message  of  a  man  to  his  fellow-man.      If  by  any  means 
the  way  of  communication  between  a  man  and  his  fellow-man  could 
be    blocked,   the    entire  plan  for  establishing  the  Kingdom  would  be 
defeated.       It   seems  sometimes  as  though   an  evil    intelligence   were 
operating  to  make  the  disciple's  presentation  of  his  report  to  another 
man  seem   to  be  a  difficult  and  almost  impossible   undertaking.      Yet 
those  who  have  had  even  a  little  experience  in  overcoming  this  artifi- 
cial sense  of  difficulty,  seem   to  agree  in  representing  one  of  the  chief 
satisfactions  of  life  to  consist  in  the  consciousness  of  having  in  this  way 
helped  another  man  into  discipleship. 

"Trebly  blessed  art  thou,  my  brother,  whose  joyful  lot  it  is  to 
stretch  thy  soul  over  a  soul  that  is  dead,  as  Elisha  stretched  himself 
over  the  dead  son  of  the  Shunamite,  and  to  raise  it  up  breathing  and 
calling  upon  God  !  "  —  William  Arthur,  The  Tongue  of  Fire. 

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STUDY  XXIII.—  ^esttfli'  Conception  of  t&e  £)tectpl*  ^tenUinff  t&e 
Kingdom  of 


SIXTH  DAY  :  THE  DISCIPLE  PRAYING  FOR  THE  EXTENSION 
OF  THE  KINGDOM 

1.  Jesus  evidently  counted  the  praying  of  His  disciples  as  one  of 
the  resources  available  for  the  establishment  of  the  civilization  of  heaven 
upon  the  earth.      On  one  occasion  the  magnitude  of  the  undertaking, 
even  in  the  limited  form  in  which  at  the  moment  it  presented  itself  to 
Him,  seemed  greatly  to  impress   Him.      In  such  an  emergency  it  is 
noticeable  that  He  appealed  to  His  disciples  to  pray.      Read  carefully 
Matt.  9  :  35-38. 

2.  As  has  been  already  noted,  Jesus  proposed  to  share  His  achieve- 
ments with  His  disciples.      Read  again  in  John  14:12  His  promise 
that  they  in  the  future  should  perform  greater  achievements  in  extend- 
ing the  Kingdom   than  His  own  up  to  that  time  had  been.      Notice 
carefully  in  v.  13  how  these  great  achievements  are  to  be  performed. 

It  becomes  possible,  therefore,  for  disciples  through  prayer  to  pro- 
duce results  in  parts  of  the  earth  remote  from  themselves.  This  possi- 
bility rests  upon  the  ability  of  God  to  put  a  thought  into  the  mind  of  a 
man.  That  He  should  sometimes  wait  for  prayer  before  He  does  it, 
is  in  accord,  as  has  been  seen,  with  His  general  policy  of  doing  things 
in  such  a  way  as  to  give  to  His  children  the  largest  feasible  share  in  the 
achievement. 

"  Another  experience  came  in  the  fall  of  1882  and  the  spring  of 
1883.  I  found  that  a  spirit  of  speculation  and  doubt  of  many  of  the 
vital  doctrines  of  the  gospel  had  come  into  the  school  and  was  also 
among  some  of  the  pastors  as  well.  The  preaching  was  too  much  of 
a  speculative,  philosophical  character.  Doubts  of  the  divinity  of 
Christ,  and  especially  of  the  reality  of  the  Holy  Spirit*,  were  rife  in  our 
school,  even  among  some  of  the  teachers.  I  felt  a  great  agony  of 
prayer  for  this,  as  did  some  of  my  colleagues.  When  the  Week  of 
Prayer  came,  the  first  of  January,  it  passed  without  any  special  results, 
and  we  held  it  over  a  second  week,  having  a  general  meeting  every 
evening  to  pray  especially  for  the  outpouring  of  God's  Spirit  upon  the 
school.  But  no  result  came.  Then  a  little  band  of  perhaps  ten  held  on, 
praying  daily  for  this  object.  The  first  part  of  February  I  felt  prompted 
to  write  a  letter  stating  the  spiritual  condition  of  the  school  and  our 
needs,  and  asking  for  special  prayer  for  the  outpouring  of  God's  Spirit 
upon  the  school.  I  made  forty  copies  of  it  and  sent  them  to  most  of 

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our  colleges  and  theological  seminaries  in  the  United  States.  The 
weeks  wore  on  and  there  was  no  sign  here.  The  little  band  of  pray- 
ing ones  had  decreased  to  half  a  dozen.  On  Sabbath,  the  sixteenth  of 
March,  1883,  in  the  afternoon  and  evening  an  invisible  influence 
struck  the  school.  None  of  the  teachers  knew  of  it  until  the  next 
morning.  But  of  the  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  young  men  in  the 
school,  very  few  closed  their  eyes  in  sleep  that  night.  Almost  every 
room  was  filled  with  men  crying  to  God  for  mercy.  The  professing 
Christians  were  at  first  under  the  deepest  conviction  of  sin.  This  ex- 
perience lasted  a  week,  during  which  time  there  was  no  preaching. 
The  whole  movement  was  to  human  eye  spontaneous,  and  the  only 
efforts  almost  which  the  teachers  put  forth  were  to  restrain  from  excesses 
and  guide  the  inquiring  souls  into  the  light.  All  but  four  or  five  who 
were  in  the  school  passed  through  this  experience,  and  the  work 
spread  from  our  school  to  the  churches  in  this  part  of  Japan,  and  this 
revival  changed  the  whole  spirit  of  our  school.  There  have  been  no 
doubts  since  that  time  of  the  existence  and  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
About  the  middle  of  April  answers  to  my  letters  came,  and  they  told 
us  that  on  March  12,  13,  14,  15,  16,  17,  and  on,  companies  were 
praying  for  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  on  the  Doshisha,  some  of  them 
saying  that  they  were  praying  with  strong  crying  and  tears." 

Rev.  Jerome  D.  Davis,  D.D., 
Missionary  Herald,  November,  1889. 


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STUDY  XXIII.  —  3e0ttfi*  Conception  of  t&e  EHgciple  Cptentttno;  tie 
Eingftom  of 


SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

Review  the  evidence  that  Jesus  planned  to  give  His  disciples  a  re- 
sponsible part  in  the  extension  and  establishment  of  His  Kingdom  ;  and 
see  how  He  expected  them  to  perform  their  part.  Make  clear  to  your- 
self what  it  is  that  Jesus  is  engaged  in  doing,  that  is,  what  the  funda- 
mental features  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  are.  The  Kingdom  is  a  civiliza- 
tion, a  social  system,  in  which  every  member,  as  a  disciple  of  Jesus,  is 
•a  true  son  to  his  Heavenly  Father  and  a  true  brother  to  his  fellow-man. 

"  At  the  close  of  the  Ecumenical  Conference,  held  at  New  York  in 
1900,  the  General  Committee  prepared  an  address  to  the  Church. 
This  address  was  read  at  a  meeting  attended  by  representatives  of  mis- 
sionary societies  of  all  parts  of  Christendom  and  was  adopted  unani- 
mously. It  concluded  thus  :  '  Entrusting  to  Him  the  certain  guidance 
of  the  great  tides  of  influence  and  life  which  are  beyond  our  control,  it 
is  for  us  to  keep  the  commandments  of  His  Son  and  carry  to  those 
for  whom  He  lived  and  died  and  rose  again  the  message  of  the  good- 
ness and  love  of  their  Father  and  ours.  We  who  live  now  and  have 
this  message  must  carry  it  to  those  who  live  now  and  are  without  it.  It 
is  the  duty  of  each  generation  of  Christians  to  make  Jesus  Christ  known 
to  their  fellow-creatures.  It  is  our  duty  through  our  own  preachers  and 
those  forces  and  institutions  which  grow  up  where  the  Gospel  prevails, 
to  attempt  now  the  speedy  evangelization  of  the  whole  world.  We 
believe  this  to  be  God's  present  call,'  «  Whom  shall  I  send  and  who  will 
go  for  us  ?  '  We  appeal  to  all  Christian  ministers  set  by  divine  ap- 
pointment as  leaders  of  the  people,  to  hear  this  call  and  speak  it  to  the 
Church,  and  we  appeal  to  all  God's  people  to  answer  as  with  one 
voice,  '  Lord,  here  am  I,  send  me.'  " 

Mott,  The  Evangelization  of  the  World  in  This  Generation. 


17$ 


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STUDY  XXIV.  —  JJefitts*  Conception  of  tfoe  ^Disciple 
Kingdom  of  <£>oU 

(Continued*} 
FIRST  DAY:    THE  DISCIPLE  USING  HIS  MONEY 

1.  The  Jewish  civilization  into    which  Jesus  entered  was   one  ir 
which  even  the  religious  teachers  of  the  day  were  greedy  for  money, 
Note  the  first  clause  of  Mark  12  :  40  in  Jesus'  criticism  of  them,  and 
the  ridicule  with  which  they  met  His   teaching  regarding  the  use  of 
money,  Luke  16  :  14. 

The  fact  that  Jesus  found  His  fellow  countrymen  so  bewitched  with 
the  desire  for  money,  explains  in  part,  perhaps,  the  extremely  forcible 
way  in  which  He  presented  His  teaching  regarding  its  use.  It  seemed 
to  the  Twelve  that  a  respectable  rich  man  was  certain  to  find  an  honor- 
able place  in  the  new  order  of  things.  Note  their  impatient  surprise 
at  the  apparent  impracticability  of  Jesus'  views  on  this  point,  Mark 
10:23-26  and  its  context,  vv.  17—22.  See  also  the  strenuous 
language  in  Luke  6  :  20,  21,  24,  25  ;  12  \^.  He  seemed  determined 
to  speak  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  an  impression  upon  the  callous, 
money-loving  heart  of  His  generation. 

2.  One  of  the  most  forcible  presentations  of  Jesus'  thought  is  found 
in  Luke  12:13-21.      Read  the  passage  carefully.      Out  of  the  great 
money  -loving  crowd  that  confronted  Jesus  came  a  typical  cry  for  a 
division.      (S  Make  my  brother  divide  !"  the  voice  cried  (v.  13).      In 
reply  Jesus  tried  to  give  the  crowd  a  new  view  of  life.      He  advanced 
the  idea  that  the  possession  of  property  does  not  constitute/^-  (v.  15). 
Note  the  contrast  between  "soul"  and  "things"    (v.  20.).      Jesus 
then  proceeded  to  draw  a  picture  of  a  well-to-do  farmer  who  thought 
that  life  consisted  in  the  possession  of  things.      The  man  was  not  dis- 
honest (v.  1  6)  nor  niggardly  (v.  19),  and  yet  God  applied  to  him  a 
title  that  he  had  never  heard  from  the  lips  of  his  admiring  neighbors, 
and  pronounced  his  life  a  colossal  blunder  (v.  20).      What  was  the 
matter  with  the  man  ?     What  is  the  meaning  of  v.  21? 

3.  The  poor  man  is  in  equal  peril  with  the  rich  man.      Notice  the 
close    connection  of  the  poor  man's  paragraph,   vv.    22-29,   and  the 
force  of  "  therefore  "  (v.  22).      He  who  is  discontented  because  he  is 
not  rich  fundamentally  resembles  in  disposition  him  who  is  contented 
because  he  is  rich.      He  who  wants  the  necessities  of  life  for  himself 
alone  has  the  same  disposition  as  he  who  wants  the  luxuries  for  himself 
alone.      Both  agree  in  wanting  things  for  themselves  alone. 

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STUDY  XXIV.— Jesus*  Conception  of  t&e  £H0nple  ©jrtenUinff  t&e 
Kingdom  of  (0oft 

{Concluded*} 

SECOND  DAY  :  THE  DISCIPLE   USING  HIS  MONEY 
(CONCLUDED) 

1 .  Jesus'  most  distinct  teaching  regarding  the  use  of  money  is  found 
in  Luke  16:1-12,   the  parable  of  the  «'  Shrewd  Steward."      Read 
vv.    1-8  and  note  that  in  v.  9  (read  the  Revised  Version)  Jesus  dis- 
tinctly states  the  thought  that  He  has  been  illustrating.      In  this  verse 
"mammon  of  unrighteousness  "  is  an  expression  describing  money. 

The  essential  feature  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  is  its  brotherliness,  its 
eternal  friendships.  Money  is  to  be  so  used  as  to  produce  eternal 
friendships.  Read  v.  9  again.  The  disciple  is  to  use  his  money  in 
such  a  way  as  to  insure  his  finding  in  the  life  to  come  that  eternal  friend- 
ships have  been  gained  by  it  with  those  whom  it  benefited,  although 
during  his  life  on  earth  he  may  never  have  known  them. 

Read  in  vv.  19-25  the  account  of  a  man  who  did  not  use  his  money 
in  this  way,  and  who  consequently  did  not  have  the  joy  of  eternal  friend- 
ships in  the  life  to  come.  In  partial  contrast  read  Luke  10:33-35. 

2.  The  fact  that  the  disciple  is  a  son  of  God  is  assurance  that  he  will 
in  the  future  be  called  upon  to  exercise  great  power.      He  is  like  the 
son  of  a  wealthy  father,  who  will  have  great  power  and  responsibility 
when  he  becomes  of  age.      Human  life  is  a  device  of  God'  for  training 
His  children  in  the  unselfish  use  of  power.      He  puts  money,  which  is 
a  comparatively  low  form  of  power,  into  their  hands  so  that  they  may, 
by  the  unselfish  use  of  it,  prepare  themselves  to  be  trusted  with  higher 
forms  of  power  in  the  age  to  come.      Read  carefully  Luke  1 6  :  i  o,  1 1 . 
Consider  whether  it  would  be  safe  to  trust  a  man  with  prayer-power 
who  could  not  be  trusted  to  use  even  the  lower  money-power  unself- 
ishly.     Consider  also  whether  the  Church  as  a  whole  can  be  trusted 
with  prayer-power,  until  it  has  learned  to  use  its  money  unselfishly  in 
the  service  of  Jesus'  new  order  of  things. 

3.  Money  is  a  temporary  possession  (cf.  Luke  12  :  20).     If  a  man 
cannot  use  unselfishly  that  which  muse  soon  go  to  another,  how  can  he 
be  given  in  the  age  to  come  something  to  keep,  forms  of  spiritual  power 
that  will  be  an  essential  part  of  himself?      Read  Luke  16  :  12. 

4.  It  is  as  easy  for  a  man  with  a  small  sum  of  money  as  for  a  man 
with  a  large  sum  of  money  to  learn  to  use  his  money  unselfishly.     Per- 

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haps  it  is  easier.  Moreover,  there  has  never  been  in  the  past  such  an 
opportunity  as  exists  to-day  for  a  man  with  a  small  sum  of  money  to 
take  a  large  part  in  the  extension  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  This  is  due 
to  two  facts,  the  possibility  of  quick  communication  with  remote  parts 
of  the  earth,  and  the  ease  with  which  combinations  are  formed.  A  call 
for  money  can  be  published  by  some  trustworthy  benevolent  agency  ; 
fifty  thousand  men  can  send  each  a  dollar  ;  and  the  $50,000  can  be 
cabled  half  way  around  the  world,  all  within  a  week.  The  world  is 
becoming  one  vast  neighborhood.  It  is  becoming  more  and  more  evident 
in  economic  development  that  God  intends  to  establish  the  civilization 
of  the  new  Kingdom  in  such  a  way  as  to  give  all  the  disciples  of  Jesus  a 
share  in  the  achievement. 

We  are  so  closely  knit  together  that  the  commonplace  disciple  with 
the  silent  influence  of  his  merciful  heart  ;  with  his  sincere  word  of  tes- 
timony ;  with  his  inspired  prayer  ;  and  with  his  dollar,  can  make  a 
contribution  to  the  consummation  of  Jesus'  great  hope  for  humanity,  the 
influence  of  which  no  man  may  measure. 

"  We  are  living,  we  are  dwelling, 

In  a  grand  and  awful  time, 
In  an  age  on  ages  telling  j 

To  be  living  is  sublime. 
Hark  !  the  waking  up  of  nations, 

Gog  and  Magog  to  the  fray  ; 
Hark,  what  soundeth  is  creation 

Groaning  for  its  latter  day. 

"  Worlds  are  charging,  heaven  beholding, 

Thou  hast  but  an  hour  to  fight  j 
Now  the  blazoned  cross  unfolding, 

On,  right  onward,  for  the  right  ! 
On  !  let  all  the  soul  within  you 

For  the  truth's  sake  go  abroad  ; 
Strike,  let  every  nerve  and  sinew 
Tell  on  ages,  tell  for  God  !  " 

Arthur  Cleveland  Coxe. 


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STUDY  XXIV.—  Jeans'   Conception   of  tie  EHsctpie   anfc 


THIRD   DAY:    REVIEW   OF   STUDIES    XVI,   XVII,  XVIII, 

XIX 

As  we  draw  near  to  the  close  of  Part  III  it  remains  to  make  some 
definite  and  measurably  exact  statement  of  Jesus'  conception  of  the 
disciple  and  his  mission.  In  order  to  gather  the  material  for  such  a 
statement  it  is  necessary  to  make  a  general  survey  of  the  ground  trav- 
ersed. Look  rapidly  over  Studies  XVI,  XVII,  XVIII,  XIX,  in 
order  to  see  what  they  have  contributed  to  such  a  general  statement  as 
is  proposed.  The  general  questions  to  which  answers  are  sought  are 
these  :  What  did  Jesus  consider  the  undiscipled  man  by  virtue  of  his 
nature  to  be  ?  What  is  it  to  become  a  disciple  ?  What  constitutes  a 
successful  disciple  ?  That  is,  What  is  a  disciple  in  the  world  for  ? 

Record  whatever  material  for  reply  is  afforded  by  these  four  studies 
in  preparation  for  a  final  statement. 


FOURTH    DAY:    REVIEW    OF    STUDIES    XX,   XXI,  XXII, 

XXIII 

Glance  rapidly  over  Studies  XX,  XXI,  XXII,  XXIII,  and  the 
first  two  days  of  XXIV,  looking  for  material  that  can  be  used  in  reply 
to  the  questions  proposed  yesterday. 


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STUDY   XXIV. — Jesus'  Conception   of   t&e  JDiactplc  an&  &te 

Jfttesion 

FIFTH    DAY  :    THE    DISCIPLE'S    PREPARATION  FOR    THE 
CHRIST'S  JUDGMENT 

Before  making  your  final  statement  consider  the  light  thrown  on  the 
subject  by  two  paragraphs  contained  in  the  Synoptic  report  of  Jesus' 
last  conversations  with  His  disciples.  These  paragraphs  are  found  in 
Matt.  25  :  14-46.  In  the  first  paragraph,  vv.  14-30,  a  business  man 
leaves  his  estate  in  charge  of  servants.  He  entrusts  to  each  some- 
thing that  is  capable  of  being  increased,  and  the  increasing  of  which 
secures  for  the  trustee  his  lord's  approval. 

The  subject  that  is  being  illustrated  is  evidently  readiness  for  the 
Messianic  judgment  (Matt.  24  :  42).  It  is  the  account  of  this  judg- 
ment that  immediately  follows  in  the  second  paragraph,  vv.  3  I  -46. 
The  question  therefore  is,  What  has  been  given  to  every  man,  which 
is  capable  of  being  increased,  and  the  increase  of  which  prepares  him 
foi  the  Christ's  judgment  ?  Read  vv.  14-30  with  this  question  in 
mind. 

Now  read  vv.  3 1  -46  for  further  light  on  the  question,  because  this 
second  paragraph  contains  a  picture  of  the  Christ's  judgment  and  a 
representation  of  what  it  was  that  prepared  certain  persons  to  meet  this 
judgment.  This  investigation,  of  course,  is  intended  to  throw  light  on 
Jesus"  conception  of  the  disciple's  mission  and  of  what  constitutes  a  dis- 
ciple's success. 

SIXTH  DAY  :  JESUS'  PRAYER  FOR  His  DISCIPLES 

It  is  natural  to  suppose  that  Jesus'  final  prayer  for  His  disciples,  in 
the  last  moments  of  His  earthly  intercourse  with  them,  would  con- 
tain some  expression  of  what  His  deepest  desires  for  them  were. 
Therefore,  before  making  a  final  statement  of  His  conception  of  thft 
disciple  and  his  mission,  read  John  1 7  very  carefully.  In  this  reading 
note  everything  that  throws  light  on  Jesus'  ambition  ( I )  for  the  in- 
disciple  and  (2)  for  the  disciples  as  a  body. 


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STUDY   XXIV.—  3fe0«fi'  Conception  of   tfce   £>tactple  anU   fete 

Jfttemon 

SEVENTH  DAY  :    SUMMARY  OF  PART  III 

1 .  Gather  up   the  results  of  the  work  of  the  past  few  days  into  a 
compact  statement  of  what  you  understand  to  be  Jesus'  conception  of 
the  disciple  and  his  mission. 

2.  That  which  seems  to  be   most  significant  in  the  nature  of  the 
human    personality  is  its  capacity  for  unselfish  love.      Every  human 
being  enters  the  world  with  this,  and  human  life  seems  to  be  a  device 
of  God  for  the   development  of  this  capacity  into  an  actual  power. 
Normal  human  relationships  from  the  beginning  of  existence  appeal  to 
this  capacity.      The  little  child  is  drawn  out  first  in  love  to  its  mother 
and  soon  to  its  father.      Later  an  appeal  of  a  different  sort  is  made,  it 
may  be,  by  a  brother,  and  still  another  by  a  sister.      In  due  time  the 
new  love  for  husband  or  wife  enters  the  experience  of  this  personality, 
and  the  love  for  son  and  daughter.      No  one  of  these  seven  relations, 
which  the  human  personality  sustains  in  the  fully  developed  family  life, 
is  exactly  like  any  of  the  others.      They  constitute  a  seven-fold  appeal, 
of  the  most  powerful  character  imaginable,  intended  to  develop  the  seal's 
latent    capacity  for  unselfish  love   into  an    active    power.     To  these 
family  relationships  are  to  be  added  the  many  other  relationships  of 
friendly  intercourse  which  spring  up  in  daily  life. 

In  the  light  of  this  view  of  life  the  supreme  significance  of  daily  life 
becomes  evident.  Ordinary  daily  life  may  reverently  be  said  to  afford 
the  most  favorable  opportunity  the  infinite  ingenuity  of  God  could 
devise  for  the  development  of  the  love-power  in  human  personality. 
What  seems  to  us  a  commonplace  daily  routine  seems  to  God  a  mar- 
vellous opportunity  for  life,  as  is  evident  from  the  importance  attached 
to  it  in  Jesus'  description  of  the  judgment.  Read  again  Matt. 
25  :  35-40.  The  ambition  of  Jesus  for  His  disciple  is  that  his  daily 
life,  so  conceived,  shall  be  a  success. 

3.  Another  way  of  stating  the  ambition  of  Jesus  for  His  disciple  is  to 
say  that  the  disciple  is  intended  to  become  an  expression  of  the  love  of 
God.     It  is  the  genius  of  God  to  express  Himself.     The  dominant  note 
in  both  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  is  that  God  means  to  be  known. 
The  disciple  in  whom  daily  life  develops  the  capacity  for  unselfish  love 
into  an  ever-increasing  power,  becomes  an  agency  through  which  the 
love  of  God  can  express  itself.      The  culminating  thought  in  Jesus' 
praver  for  His  disciples  is  found  in  the  last  sentence,  John    17:26. 

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God's  love  and  Jesus'  spiritual  presence  are  to  be  in  the  disciple,  and 
work  out  upon  the  life  of  the  world  through  the  disciple.  The  suc- 
cessfru  disciple  is  the  one  who  is  increasingly  becoming,  according  to 
his  ability,  an  expression  of  the  love  of  God.  God  is  getting  at  the 
life  of  the  world  through  the  love  of  these  God-charged  personalities 
that  Jesus  gathers  about  Himself  and  fills  with  the  Spirit. 

In  this  sense  they  are  sent  into  the  world  on  the  same  errand  that 
Jesus  came  to  perform.  "  As  the  Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I 
you  "  (John  20  :  21 ).  **  I  manifested  thy  name  unto  the  men  whom 
thou  gavest  me  out  of  the  world  "  (John  17  :  6). 

As  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ,  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  they  so 
reveal  the  love  of  God  as  to  contribute  to  the  coming  of  that  age  in 
which  all  men  shall  be  true  sons  to  God  and  true  brothers  to  each 
other. 

"  After  those  days,  saith  the  Lord  ; 
I  will  put  my  law  in  their  inward  parts, 
And  in  their  heart  will  I  write  it 5 
And  I  will  be  their  God, 
And  they  shall  be  my  people  : 

And  they  shall  teach  no  more  every  man  his  neighbor, 
And  every  man  his  brother,  saying,  Know  the  Lord  : 
For  they  shall  all  know  me, 

From  the  least  of  them  unto  the  greatest  of  them,  saith  the  Lord  t 
For  I  will  forgive  their  iniquity, 
And  their  sin  will  I  remember  no  more." 

The  Prophecy  of  Jeremiah. 


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f-  OF  THE 

ji    UNIVERSITY 


PART   IV 

THE  APOSTOLIC  CONCEPTION   OF  THE 
DISCIPLE  AND   HIS   MISSION 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XXV.  —  CJje  &po3toltc  Conception  of  tfje  Disciple  in 


FIRST    DAY  :    THE    DISCIPLES  IN  THE    CHURCH    A    HOLY 
BROTHERHOOD 

1.  In  the  New  Testament  literature  outside  of  the  Gospels   and 
Acts  the  word  "  disciples  "  does  not  occur.      Its  place  is  taken  by  the 
words   "saints,"   or  "holy  ones,"  and   "brothers."      The  expres- 
sion "  Kingdom  of  God,"  or  an  equivalent,  occurs  in  the  Epistles,  but 
much  less  frequently  than  in  the  Gospels  ;  and  the  word  "  Church," 
which  in  the  Gospels  is  found  only  in    Matt.  16  :  19  ;    18  :  17,  is 
freely  used  in  the  Epistles.      It  is  not  safe  to  infer  from  this  fact,  how- 
ever, that  "  Church  "  and  "  Kingdom  "  are  exact  equivalents. 

The  Greek  word  translated  "  church  "  is  the  word  used  in  the 
Greek  Old  Testament  to  designate  an  "assembly"  of  God's  people. 
The  word  has  a  developing  meaning  in  the  New  Testament,  being 
applied  first  to  a  single  local  body  of  Christians,  and  later  to  the  whole 
body  of  Christians  in  the  world.  It  is  also  occasionally  used  of  a 
special  meeting  of  Christians  for  worship,  I  Cor.  14  :  19,  35. 

2.  In  order  to  gain  some  conception  of  the  frequency  with  which 
the  words  "saints,"  or  "holy  ones,"  and  "  brothers"  are  used  as 
the  ordinary  designation  of  Christians,  note  some  of  the  following  refer- 
ences, which  are  but  a  few  of  many  :  Rom.  I  :  7,  1  3  ;  8  :  1  2,  27;  I  Cor. 
I  :  2,  i  o  ;  6  :  1  ,  6  ;  II  Cor.  I  :  1  ,  8  ;  13:  1  1  ,  13;  Eph.  I  :  I  ;  4  :  1  2  ; 
6:23;  Phil,    i  :  i,  12;  4:  21,  22;  Col.  I  :  2  ;  I  Thess.  1:4;! 
Tim.  5:10;  Heb.  13  :  22-24  '•>  Ju<^e  3  J  ^ev-  5  :  8- 

The  Greek  word  translated  "saints"  does  not  occur  as  a  designa- 
tion of  Christians  in  James,  I  and  II  Peter,  and  the  Johannine  letters  ; 
but  the  word  "  brothers  "  is  so  used  in  them. 

We  come  then  upon  these  three  words,  "church,"  "saints," 
"brothers,"  as  the  current  designations  of  disciples  in  the  apostolic 
age,  and  we  seem  warranted  in  making  the  statement  that  the  disciples 
were  thought  of  as  constituting  in  the  Church  a  holy  brotherhood. 
Endeavor  to  think  through  the  meaning  of  this  designation. 


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STUDY  XXV.  —  C&e  &pofitoltc  Conception  of  t&e  JDiaciplefi  in  t(je 


SECOND  DAY  :   THE   DISCIPLES  IN  THE    CHURCH  A    HOLY 
BROTHERHOOD  (CONCLUDED) 

I  .  We  need  still  further  to  see  what  is  involved  in  this  designation 
of  the  Church  as  a  holy  brotherhood.  The  question  first  arises, 
What  is  meant  by  calling  the  disciples  "  saints  "  or  "  holy  ones  "  ? 

They  are  sometimes  represented,  if  the  translators  are  justified  in 
inserting  the  words  "  to  be,"  as  "  called  to  be  saints,"  which  ap- 
parently refers  to  the  purpose  of  God  for  them  in  inviting  them  into 
personal  relation  with  Himself.  Are  they  regarded  as  already  being 
saints,  or  is  the  term  used  as  descriptive  of  what  they  will  be  at  some 
future  period  ?  See  Rom.  8  :  27  ;  I  Cor.  16  :  I  ;  II  Cor.  13  :  13. 

The  original  meaning  of  the  Greek  word  translated  "holy"  is 
"worthy  of  veneration,"  in  which  sense  it  is  applied  to  God.  It 
describes  also  the  moral  quality  in  the  character  of  God  which  renders 
Him  worthy  of  veneration.  Anything  that  is  set  apart  for  God's 
uses  or  service  is  thought  of  as  also  worthy  of  respect  or  veneration,  as 
for  instance  the  furniture  of  the  tabernacle.  In  the  case  of  persons 
set  apart  for  God,  the  word  implies  a  certain  moral  character  requisite 
in  those  who  thus  devote  themselves  to  the  service  of  God. 

It  was  the  thought  of  the  Old  Testament  that  the  Jewish  nation 
was  under  peculiar  obligation  to  be  holy  because  set  apart  by  God  for 
His  own  service.  See  the  emphasis  placed  upon  this  idea  in  enforcing 
the  Levitical  distinction  between  clean  and  unclean  foods.  Lev. 
II  :  43-45.  Cf.  I  Peter  1:15. 

2.  Endeavor  to  determine  what  moral  qualities  in  God  and  man  are 
indicated  by  the  word  "  holy."      What  is  a  "  holy  "  person  ?     What 
quality  or  qualities  in  the  person  of  God  or  a  good  man  call  out  most 
profound  respect  ? 

If  the  punctuation  adopted  by  the  translators  in  Eph.  i  :  4  be  cor- 
rect, what  light  does  the  passage  throw  on  the  nature  of  holiness? 
What  is  indicated  as  to  the  nature  of  holiness  by  I  Thess.  3  :  11-13? 
By  I  Thess.  5  :  26  ?  By  Eph.  5:1-4? 

3.  The  other  word  in  the  characterization  of  the  Church,  namely, 
"  brotherhood,"   emphasizes  the  idea  already  seen  to  be  so  prominent 
in  the  teaching  of  Jesus. 

Still  endeavor  to  think  through  in  the  details  of  local  church  life  the 
significance  of  this  designation  of  the  Church  in  the  world  as  a  "holy 
brotherhood." 

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STUDY  XXV.—  ®fce  3lpo0toUc  Conception  of  t&e  ZHtfdpIe  in  tfje 

C!)ttrc() 

THIRD  DAY  :  THE   RELATION  OF   THE    DISCIPLES   IN  THE 
CHURCH  TO  JESUS 

1 .  The  relation  of  this  holy  brotherhood  of  disciples  to  Jesus  is  va- 
riously represented  in  the  apostolic  writings.      A  general  statement  of 
the  relation  in  several  of  its  phases,  as  conceived  by  Paul,  is  found  in 
Eph.  5  :  22-33.    Note  the  different  things  that  are  said  in  this  passage 
about  Christ's   attitude   toward   the  Church,  remembering  that    "to 
sanctify  ' '  means  to  make  holy. 

A  significant  statement  of  the  relation  of  individual  disciples  in  the 
Church  is  found  in  I  Cor.  1:2,  where  they  are  spoken  of  as  "sanc- 
tified in  Christ,"  that  is,  Paul  regards  the  personal  association  of  the 
disciple  with  Jesus  as  that  which  makes  him  a  "holy  man."  Read 
also  I  Cor.  6  :  1 1 .  See  also  the  significant  connection  between  two 
phrases  in  Rom.  I  :  6,  7,  "  called  to  be  Jesus  Christ's,"  and  "  called 
to  be  saints."  Paul  conceives  of  the  disciple  as  one  who  is  separated 
to  the  holy  uses  of  Jesus  Christ  in  human  society.  This  idea  of  holy 
separateness  to  God  or  Christ  is  expressed  clearly  in  Rom.  12:1,  2. 
Read  also  the  sentence  in  Paul's  address  to  the  Ephesian  elders,  Acts 
20  :  28. 

2.  The  relation  of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  Church  is  sometimes  repre- 
sented by  Paul  under  the  figure  of  a  building,  particularly  a  temple. 
Read  Eph.  2:21,  22.      Read   also  I   Cor.   3  :  10-17,  in  which  the 
characters  of  the  members  of  the  local  church  are  represented  as  built 
by  the  preacher  upon  Jesus  Christ  as  a  foundation,  and  in  which  the 
whole  structure  is  represented  as  a  temple. 

3.  We  find  it  difficult  to  shake  off  certain  uncomfortable  associations 
connected  with  the  words  "  holy  "  and  "  saint,"  which  evidently  did 
not  exist  in  the  mind  of  Paul.      The  words  are  associated  in  our  minds 
sometimes  with  the  seclusion  of  the  cloister  rather  than  with  the  noise  of 
the  factory  ;    and  yet  Paul's  "  holy  man"  would  not  be  out  of  place 
managing  or  working  in  a  factory,  as  is  evident  from  detailed  descriptions 
of  him  found  in  Paul's  letters.      This  has  become  more  evident  as  men 
have  come  to  see  more  clearly  the  social  life  of  Christ.      His  holiness 
did  not  consist  in  shutting  Himself  away  from  men,  but  in  meeting  their 
needs  in  honesty  and  love.      There  is  no  holier  man  than   he  who,  in 
fellowship  with  Jesus  Christ,  lives  a  life  of  sincerity  and  love. 

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STUDY  XXV.  —  C&e  &jjofitolte  Conception  of  t&e  SDisctple  in  t&e 


FOURTH    DAY  :    THE  RELATION  OF  THE  DISCIPLES  IN  THE 
CHURCH  TO  JESUS  (CONCLUDED) 

1.  In  Paul  the  relation  of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  Church  is  several  times 
presented  under  the  figure  of  a  body.      The  earliest  use  of  the  figure  is 
in  I  Cor.  12:  12-30,  particularly  v.    27.      Chief  emphasis   is   placed 
here  upon  the  relation  of  the  various  parts  of  the  body  to  each  other, 
rather  than  upon  the  relation  of  the  body  to  Christ  ;  and  yet  the  latter 
is  clearly  assumed  in  v.  27.      Is  it  all  Christians,  or  simply  the  Co- 
rinthian church,  that  Paul  likens  to  a  body  ?     What  is  it  in  the  figure 
that  gives  the  body  its  unity  and  keeps  the  parts  in  co-operation  ? 

The  next  occurrence  of  the  figure  is  in  Rom.  12:4,  5.  Read  this 
passage  and  see  whether  it  is  the  local  church  or  the  Church  universal 
that  is  the  body  here. 

2.  In  the  later  letters,  written  from  Rome,  the  centre  of  world-em- 
pire, Paul  uses  the  word  Church  to  describe  all  the  Christians  in  the 
world.      Here  again  reappears  the  figure  of  the  "body."      Read  Col. 
I  :  1  8  and  its  context,  vv.  12-17.      What  is  the  relation  of  Christ  to 
the   "body"   here?     Read  also  2  :  19.      Here  Christ  seems  to  be 
represented  in  the  figure  as  sustaining  to  the  body  the  same  relation  that 
the  physical  head  sustains  to  the  trunk,  and  as  being  the  source  of 
growth. 

Read  also  Eph.  i  :  22  and  4  :  15,,  16.  What  relation  does  Christ 
sustain  to  his  "body,"  the  Church,  in  5  :  29,  30. 

3  .  Consider  more  fully  what  is  involved  in  the  first  use  of  the  figure 
of  the  body,  in  which  Christ  is  represented  to  be  its  animating  spirit. 
The  body  is  the  visible  manifestation  of  the  invisible  spirit.  Consider 
the  closeness  of  the  relationship  existing  between  the  spirit  and  its  body 
and  the  completeness  of  the  spirit's  control  of  the  body.  The  spirit 
acts  through  the  body,  and  in  this  way  expresses  itself  and  accomplishes 
its  purposes.  The  churchly  body  of  Christ,  the  "  holy  brotherhood," 
is  to  go  up  and  down  the  world's  highways  with  the  same  spirit  and 
purpose  that  animated  the  human  body  of  Jesus  in  His  Galilean  days. 
He  is  so  large  a  personality  that  it  is  only  through  a  great  company  of 
people  that  He  can  move  about  and  express  Himself  on  the  world-wide 
scale  on  which  He  is  now  working. 


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STUDY  XXV.  —  C&e  &pofitolic  Conception  of  t&e  SDiaciple  in  t&e 


FIFTH  DAY  :  THE  RELATION  OF  DISCIPLES  IN  THE  CHURCH 
TO  EACH  OTHER 

1.  Turn  again  to  I  Cor.  12,  where  the  local  church  is  represented 
as  "  a  body  of  Christ  "    (v.    27),  and  where  chief  emphasis  is  laid 
upon  the  relation  of  the  parts  to  each  other.      Read  it  carefully,  look- 
ing for  light  upon  the  question,  What  ought  to  be  the  attitude  of  a  dis- 
ciple in  the  church  to  his  fellow-members  ?     What  are  the  conditions 
under  which  the  members  of  such  a  "body  "  will  be  least  likely  to 
have  time  and  inclination  to  compare  themselves  with  others  ? 

In  Eph.  3  :  1-13  the  fact  is  brought  out  that  the  problem  of  proper 
internal  relationship  on  a  large  scale  was  occasioned  by  the  presence  of 
Jewish  and  non-Jewish  elements  in  the  Church.  These  two  elements 
were,  by  previous  training  and  habits  of  thought,  diametrically  opposed 
to  each  other  in  many  respects  ;  and  yet  Paul  conceived  that  as  Chris- 
tians in  the  Church  they  were  to  be  parts  of  a  thoroughly  unified 
"body."  Moreover,  such  a  union  of  these  two  elements  included  all 
the  world,  so  far  as  the  world  might  become  Christian,  and  was  there- 
fore an  object  of  interest  to  the  entire  universe.  Read  the  paragraph 
carefully,  remembering  that  a  "mystery  "  is  a  concealed  truth,  not  nec- 
essarily a  truth  difficult  to  understand.  What  is  there  about  the  Church 
that  reveals  to  the  heavenly  world  the  "wisdom  "  of  God  (v.  10)? 

Read  Eph.  4:11-16,  which  pictures  the  growing  body.  God's 
purpose  is  to  secure  a  full-grown,  strong,  healthy  body  perfectly  re- 
sponsive to  His  animating  Spirit.  Who  are  represented  here  as  build- 
ing up  this  body  ?  Read  the  paragraph  again,  looking  for  an  answer  to 
the  question,  In  what  particulars  is  it  represented  that  the  body  will 
grow?  Or  what  will  be  the  chief  characteristics  of  the  "full-grown" 
body?  Notice  especially  the  first  phrase  in  v.  15.  Think  this  through. 
Is  the  truth  ever  spoken  not  in  love?  Notice  that  the  Greek  word 
covers  more  than  mere  speaking  (see  margin).  Compare  this  idea 
with  the  Johannine  conception  of  Jesus  as  one  full  of  "  grace  and 
truth  '  '  (John  I  114). 

2.  One  aspect  of  the  mutual  relationship  between  members  of  the 
local  church  is   distinctly  brought  out  by  Paul  in  the  following  pas- 
sages :  Gal.  6:2;  Rom.  14:1,15;    15:1;!  Cor.  8:13. 

3.  The  word  "church  "  does  not  appear  in  I  Peter,  but  read  5:1-5, 
noting  everything  that  is  said  about  the  mutual  relations  of  Christians. 

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STUDY  XXV.—  CJje  &pofitolu  Conception  of  t&e  SDisdple  in  tlje 


SIXTH  DAY  :  THE  RELATION  OF  DISCIPLES  IN  THE  CHURCH 
TO  EACH  OTHER  (CONCLUDED) 

I  .  It  is  necessary  to  look  more  closely  into  the  details  of  the  rela- 
tionship which  the  apostles  sought  to  establish  between  the  individual 
members  of  the  churches  with  which  they  had  to  do.  The  character 
of  the  church  depends  upon  the  character  of  the  individual  elements 
constituting  it  ;  and  the  character  of  these  consists  in  their  relation  to 
each  other. 

What  four  things  regarding  their  mutual  relationship  are  specified  in 
Eph.  4:25-29?  The  previous  character  of  the  persons  to  whom 
these  words  were  addressed  is  made  very  evident  !  Why  does  the 
fact  that  we  are  "members  one  of  another  "  constitute  a  reason  for 
telling  one  another  the  truth  (v.  25)  ?  Anger,  if  it  be  felt,  is  to  be 
short-lived.  Note  each  expression  in  vv.  31,  32.  Is  there  anyone 
fandamental  characteristic  underlying  all  of  these? 

2.  Paul  became  still  more  specific  in  discussing  the  relations  between 
different  classes  of  Christians.      Sum  up  in  a  sentence  what  he  says 
about  the  mutual  relations  of  Christian  husbands  and  wives  in  Eph. 
5  :  2  2-3  3,  remembering  that  these  words  were  written  in  view  of  the 
needs  of  the  civilization  of  his  day.      The  directions  along  these  lines 
that  a  missionary  in  Africa  might  find  it  necessary  to  give  to  his  con- 
verts would  in  some  respects  be  parallel  to  these.      Give  the  substance 
of  Eph.  6:1-4.      Slavery  was  one  of  the  institutions  of  Paul's  day. 
Sum  up  what  he  says  in  vv.  5-9  regarding  the  mutual  relations  of 
Christian  masters  and  slaves. 

3.  In  order  to  see  how  important  mutual  relations  of  disciples  in 
the  Church  seemed  to  all  the  apostles,  read  rapidly  the  following,  and 
note  whatever  injunction  underlies  or  is  common  to  them  all  :  I  Cor. 
1  3  ;   Phil.    1:9;   2:1-8;    I  Thess.  4:9,    I  o  ;    5:11-15;   II  Thess. 
1:3;    Heb.     10:24,    25  ;    James   5:  16  ;    I  Pet.  3:8-12;  I   John 
3  :  16-18. 

4.  It  is  evident  that  the    apostles  came  ultimately  to   share    fully 
Jesus'  sense  of  the  importance  of  mutual  love.      Their  ambition  for  the 
churches  they  founded,  like  that  of  Jesus  for  the  apostles  themselves, 
was  that  they  might  be  conspicuous  for  the  love  they  felt  and  in  prac- 
tical ways  manifested  in  their  mutual  intercourse. 

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STUDY  XXV.—  C&e  Apostolic  Conception  of  t&e  SDtscipie  in  t&e 


SEVENTH  DAY:  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

I  .  Sum  up  what  has  been  discovered  this  week  regarding  the  apos- 
tolic conception  of  the  disciple  in  the  Church.  What  is  to  be  the 
character  of  the  membership  of  the  Church  ?  What  is  to  be  the  rela- 
tion of  the  membership  individually  and  as,  a  whole  to  Jesus  Christ  ? 
What  is  to  be  their  relation  to  each  other  ?  Perhaps  the  question 
which  best  gathers  up  the  result  of  the  week's  work  is,  What  was  the 
apostolic  conception  of  a  successful  local  church,  so  far  as  the  study  of 
the  week  has  revealed  it  ? 

2.  We  have  seen  that  the  apostles  did  not  conceive  of  the  men  and 
women  of  the  Church  as  established  in  holiness.  There  were  those 
among  them  who  were  "weak  in  the  faith,  "and  others  who  were 
liable  to  slip  back  into  lying,  stealing,  and  the  use  of  obscene  language 
(Eph.  4  :  25-29).  The  missionary  establishing  a  little  church  in  a 
heathen  environment  understands  this.  Yet  they  were  all  "  holy 
brothers  '  '  because  they  had  associated  themselves  with  the  holy  per- 
sonality of  Jesus  Christ  ;  were  sacredly  set  apart  for  His  uses  in  human 
society  ;  and  were  being  transformed  through  personal  association  with 
Him  into  moral  likeness  to  Himself. 

Doubtless  the  local  churches  in  some  modern  communities  fail  sadly 
to  fulfil  the  apostolic  ideal  of  church  life.  One  result  of  the  revival  of 
the  study  of  the  New  Testament,  which  has  now  begun  among  the 
men  and  women  of  the  Church,  will  be  the  resurrection  of  the  apos- 
tolic conception  of  church  life.  To  be  fellow  disciples  in  the  same 
church  will  be  felt  to  be  a  relationship  full  of  responsibility  and  inspir- 
ing possibility.  The  covenant  to  "watch  over  each  other"  will  be 
seriously  made.  The  little  church  will  be  conspicuous  in  the  commu- 
nity as  an  organization  whose  members  love  each  other.  The  church 
with  a  feud,  a  debt,  and  a  dreary  prayer  meeting,  will  be  transformed 
into  a  holy  brotherhood  that  will  begin  to  feel  like  a  part  of  the  great 
body  of  Christ  in  the  earth. 

In  the  meantime  it  is  a  great  mistake  for  any  disciple  of  Jesus  to 
stand  outside  waiting  for  this  transformation  to  occur  in  any  church 
that  happens  to  need  it.  The  transformation  will  never  be  produced 
except  through  the  agency  of  those  in  the  church  who  have  seen  the 
vision  and  begun  quietly  and  unostentatiously  to  respond  to  it. 

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STUDY  XXVI.  —  C&e  Apostolic  Conception  of  tlje  Eelation  of  t&e 
£)tfictple  to  t&e  f)olj>  Spirit 

FIRST    DAY  :    THE  DISCIPLE    AND   THE    HOLY   SPIRIT   IN 
ACTS,  PETER  AND  HEBREWS 

i*.  It  became  evident  in  Study  XIX  that  Jesus'  chief  ground  of  ex- 
pectation, as  He  contemplated  the  future  of  His  disciples,  was  their 
promised  connection  with.the  Holy  Spirit.  In  the  early  history  of  the 
beginnings  of  the  Church,  as  recorded  in  Acts,  great  prominence  is 
given  to  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  career  of  the  disciples. 
For  the  most  part,  however,  it  is  only  one  aspect  of  the  subject  that 
is  considered  in  Acts,  namely,  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon 
the  disciples  in  their  career  of  witnessing.  The  author's  point  of  view 
is  stated  in  Acts  I  :  8. 

Note  the  following  instances  in  which,  at  important  junctures  of  the 
great  campaign  of  testimony,  stress  is  laid  upon  His  influence  :  2:1-4; 
4:5-8,  31;  6:3,  8,  10  ;  7:55;  8:14-17,  29;  9:15-17; 
10  :  19,  44,  47;  13  :  2~4>  95  16  :  6,  7  ;  19:  1-6. 

2.  It  is  not  only  the  relation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  the  successful 
prosecution  of  the  campaign  of  testimony  that  largely  interests  the  author 
of  Acts,  but  also  certain  impressive  external  manifestations  of  His  influ- 
ence, 2:4,6;  4:31;   8:17-19;    10:46;    19:6. 

I  Peter  resembles  Acts.  In  I  :  1  1  the  Spirit  is  represented  as  in- 
spiring Old  Testament  writers,  with  which  view  compare  Acts  I  :  16. 
In  I  Peter  1:12  note  the  mention  of  the  Spirit  in  connection  with 
the  word  of  testimony  just  as  in  Acts.  So  also  in  4  :  14.  Cf.  also  II 
Peter  1:21.  At  the  same  time  one  phrase  in  I  Peter  I  :  2  betrays 
familiarity  with  another  phase  of  the  subject. 

What  has  been  said  of  I  Peter  may  also  be  said  of  Hebrews.  See 
2:4;  3:7;  9:8;  10:15.  The  only  other  references,  6:4; 
10  :  29,  may  indicate  familiarity  with  another  phase  of  the  subject. 

In  Acts,  100,  certain  features  of  the  life  of  the  disciples  are  inciden- 
tally mentioned  which  it  may  be  inferred  were  due  to  the  influence  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  but  this  connection  is  not  emphasized  by  the  author  of 
Acts,  2  143-47  ;  4  :  32-35.  See  also  9:31;  13  :  52  ;  15:8,  9. 

3.  In  Paul,  and  to  some  extent  in  John,  another  aspect  of  the  subject 
is  prominent.      Very  little,  if  anything,  is  said  about  the  empowering 
of  the  disciples  for  testimony,  but  attention  is  concentrated  upon  the 
moral  effects  of  the  Spirit's  influence  upon  the  characters  of  individual 
believers  and  the  Church  as  a  whole. 

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STUDY  XXVI.  —  C£be  &p0atolic  Conception  of  tfce  Helation  of  tfje 

to  t&e  l)olp  Spirit 


SECOND   DAY:    THE  PAULINE    CONCEPTION  OF    THE    HOLY 
SPIRIT  IN  PERSONAL  ASSOCIATION  WITH  THE  DISCIPLE 

1.  Read  again   the   first  paragraph  of  Study  XIX,   Second   Day. 
What  personal  attribute  is  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Spirit  in  I  Cor.  2:10, 
II?     In   I    Cor.    12:11?     In    Eph.    4:30?     In    Rom.    8:27? 
When  not  designated  as  the  "  Holy  Spirit  "  or  "the  Spirit  "   He  is 
usually  referred  to  as  the  "Spirit  of  God.'*      See  also  Rom.  8:9; 
II  Cor.  3:17,  1  8  ;  Gal.  4:6;   Phil.  1  :  19.      Does    Paul    make   any 
distinction  between  God  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  Son,  and  the  Holy 
Spirit  ?     Consider  the  bearing  on  this  question  of  Rom.  8  :  1  1  ;    15: 
30  ;    I  Cor.  6  :  1  1  ;    II  Cor.  13  114;    Titus  3:5,6.      Read  care- 
folly  Rom.  8:9,  10  and  II  Cor.  3  :  17,  18.      Paul  seems  to  imply 
that  the  presence  of  the  Spirit  involves  the  presence  of  Father  and  Son. 
This  seems  to  be  the  Johannine  view  also,  I  John  3  :  24  ;  4:13. 

It  needs  to  be  borne  in  mind  that  all  of  Paul's  allusions  to  this  sub- 
ject are  incidental  to  the  attainment  of  certain  great  practical  results  in 
the  daily  lives  of  those  to  whom  he  writes,  and  that  they  are  in  no 
sense  metaphysical  discussions.  His  great  thought  is  that  God  associ- 
ates with  the  disciples  of  Jesus.  What  does  the  common  phrase 
"communion"  or  "fellowship  of  the  Holy  Spirit,"  II  Cor.  13:13, 
mean  ? 

2.  While  in  Paul,  as  in  the  Gospels,  the  Holy  Spirit  is  chiefly  spoken 
of  as  in  association  with  Jesus  and  His  disciples,  a  few  things  are  inciden- 
tally said  about  His  relation  to  God  which  tend  to  deepen  the  disciple's 
appreciation  of  the  privilege  of  such  association.     Read  I  Cor.  2:6-11, 
thinking  of  the  vast  reaches  of  knowledge  and  experience  that  belong  to 
Him  with  whom  the  disciple  is  to  be  so  intimately  associated. 

3.  There  is  always  danger,   when  a  strong    personality  associates 
with  a  weak  one,  that  the  strong  will  so  overbear  the  weak,  by  the 
very  force  of  his  personality,  that  the  weak  will  not  develop  character 
of  his  own.      The  weak  will  accept  the  ideas  and  habits  of  the  strong 
without  putting  enough  of  himself  into  them  to  give  them  value  as  per- 
sonal   character.      So    the    strong    personality  of  the    Holy  Spirit    is 
represented  as  not  forcing  Himself  upon  the  disciple,  but  tactfully  and 
with  wise  restraint  influencing  him.     Read  for  initancc  Eph.  4  :  30. 


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STUDY  XXVI.— C&e  ftpoatolic  Conception  of  t&e  Keiation  of  t&t 
Disciple  to  tlje  f)oij>  Spirit 

THIRD    DAY  :    THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  HELPING   THE  DISCIPLE 
TO  FEEL  AND  ACT  LIKE  A  SON  OF  GOD 

1.  When  the  disciple  comes  up  out  of  his  selfishness,  or  "flesh" 
life,  into  God's  forgiveness  and  into  a  life  in  which  his  unselfish  spirit- 
ual nature  begins  to  exercise  mastery  in  response  to  the  call  of  Jesus  to 
discipleship,  he  makes  but  a  weak  beginning  of  new  life.      He  does  not 
adequately   realize  who   he  is    and  whose  he   is.       He   needs   help. 
Paul's  thought  is  that  at  this  time  of  need  his  spiritual  nature  is  mightily 
re-enforced  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  who  helps  him  to  feel  and  act  like  the 
true  son  of  God  that   he  has  now  become.      Read  carefully   Rom. 
8  :  1-17.      He   has   scarcely  learned  the  language  of  the  new  life  of 
sonship  and  needs  to  be  helped  to  speak  his  Father's  name.      Read  v. 
1 5 .      He  has  not   yet  been  brought  into  that  profound  and  abiding 
sympathy  with  the  desires  of  Jesus  that  enables  him  to  pray  in  fellow- 
ship with  his  Lord.      He  does  not    yet   understand  what  a   disciple 
ought  to  pray  for,  and  in  this  particular  the  Holy  Spirit  is  his  Helper. 
Read  Rom.  8  :  26.     Notice  in  this  verse  the  extreme  interest  that  the 
Spirit  is  represented  as  feeling  in  the  disciple.     In  speaking  sometimes 
of  the  "offices"  of  the  Spirit  we  are  in  danger  of  thinking  of  His 
relation  to  us  as   "official"   instead  of  intensely  personal.      But  it  is 
the  very  love  of  God  that  is  brought  to  bear  upon  us  in  our  association 
with  the   Spirit  of  God.      See  in  this  connection   Rom.    5:5.     In 
Paul's  later  epistles  this  thought  of  the  Spirit  as  a  Helper  of  the  weak 
disciple  reappears.      Read  Eph.  3  :  14-19. 

2.  Naturally  a  peculiar  sacredness  pertains  to  the  personality  of  one 
who  is  so  intimately  associated  with  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God.     This 
fact  Paul  emphasized  by  the  use  of  a  figure  that  must  have  seemed 
forceful  both  to  his  Jewish  and  Gentile  contemporaries.      He  was  able 
to  use  it  as  the  basis  of  a  powerful  appeal  for  self-respect.     See  I  Cor. 
6  :  19. 

The  general  effect  and  purpose  of  such  association  is  stated  in  one  ol 
Paul's  earlier  letters,  II  Thess.  2:13.  What  is  the  meaning  here  of 
"salvation"?  What  is  the  connection  between  "salvation,' 
"  sanctification,"  or  holiness,  and  "the  Holy  Spirit"  ? 


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STUDY  XXVI.— OU&e  &potftoltc  Conception  of  t&e  Kelatton  of  t&e 
£>tfiinple  to  t&e  J)olp  Spirit 

FOURTH  DAY  :  THE   HOLY  SPIRIT  HELPING  THE  DISCIPLE 
TO  FEEL  AND  ACT  LIKE  A  SON  OF  GOD  (CONCLUDED) 

1.  We  have  so  far  considered  the  general  effect  of  the  disciple's 
association  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  namely,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  helps 
him  to  feel  like  a  son  of  God,  and  as  a  son  of  God  to  make  such  gains 
in  personal  holiness,  or  "  sanctification,"    as  are  essentially  involved 
in  his  being  saved  from  a  selfish  life  and  its  disaster  to  an  unselfish  life 
and  its  success.      It  remains  to  inquire  whether  the  effects  of  such  an 
association  are  more  specifically  described. 

2.  A  man's  incidental  statements  are  often  indicative  of  the  most 
fundamental  and  ever-present  convictions  of  his  life.       Such  an  inci- 
dental statement  is  made  by  Paul  in  Rom.  14:  17,  which  mentions 
the  three  fundamental  characteristics  of  the  life  lived  in  association  with 
the  Holy  Spirit.      What  is  there  about  association  with  the  Holy  Spirit 
that  tends  to  produce  each  of  these  ?     What  light  does  the  specifica- 
tion of  these  three  throw  on  the  Spirit's  own  personal  character  ?      Read 
also  from  a  later  letter,  Eph.  5  :  18-21,  noting  the  connection  be- 
tween v.  1 8  and  what  follows. 

A  more  complete  enumeration  of  results  is  the  familiar  list  in  Gal. 
5  :  22,  23.  Try  to  read  this  list  as  though  you  had  come  upon  it 
for  the  first  time,  as  a  great  discovery  destined  to  affect  all  of  your 
subsequent  life.  Think  of  the  meaning  of  each  of  these  words. 
These  experiences  are  not  to  be  strained  after.  They  are  the  natural 
"  fruit  "  of  association  with  the  Spirit. 

3.  A  large  part  of  personal  intercourse  is  the  opportunity  it  affords 
to  affect  another's  thinking.      What  kind  of  thoughts  does  the  Holy 
Spirit  put  into  the  mind  of  the  disciple  ?     Read  again  with  care  I  Cor. 
2  :6-l6    before  you   answer    this   question,   and    Eph.  3  :  5  and  its 
context.      Both  of  these  passages  show  Paul  to  be  thinking  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  as  one  who  makes  men  hopeful.      This  is  distinctly  brought  out 
in  Rom.  15  :  13.      The   powerful  re-enforcement  of  the  Holy   Spirit 
opens   before   the   human   spirit   a   prospect   that   begets  great  hopes. 
Paul  had  found  this  to  be  true  in  his  own  experience  and  had  repeat- 
edly noticed  it  in  the  experience  of  his  converts.     See  the  significant 
phrase  in  I  Thess.  I  :  6. 


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Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XXVI. — Cfje  &postoltc  Conception  of  tl)e  Eelation  of  t&e 
Rumple  to  t&c  I)olP  Spirit 

FIFTH  DAY  :    THE  HOLY  SPIRIT   UNIFYING  THE  CHURCH 
AND  ASSIGNING  TO  EACH  HIS  WORK 

1.  In  Paul's  earliest  epistles  there  appears  the  idea  so  prominent  in 
Acts.      Note  what  this  idea  is,  as  expressed  in  a  sentence  in  which  Paul 
describes  his  experience  when  he  first  preached  to  the  Thessalonians,  I 
Thess.  1:5.     It  appears  also  in  later  letters,  I  Cor.  2  :  4,  5  ;  Rom. 
15  :  18,  19. 

2.  In  I  Cor.  12,  as  has   already  been  seen,  the  local  church  (with 
some  possible  reference  also  to  the   Church  universal,  v.  28)  is  con- 
ceived  to  be  a  body.      Paul's  conception  of  the  relation  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  this  body  is  now  to  be  ascertained.      Paul's  fundamental  pre- 
supposition is  that  the  Holy  Spirit  stands  in  some  relation  to  every 
member  of  the  body.      See  vv.  3,  13.      For  a  more  specific  statement 
of  His  assignment  of  functions  to  each  member,  read  vv.  4-11.    With 
the  first  clause  of  v.  10  cf.  Gal.  3  :  5,  and  see  the  conception  of  the 
author  of  Heb.  2  :  4. 

Probably  many  of  the  members  had  no  "  gift,"  but  the  Spirit  opened 
the  way  for  the  "  ungifted  "  man  to  an  attainment  superior  to  all 
gifts,  I  Cor.  12  :  31,  the  nature  of  which  Paul  describes  in  chap.  13. 

Similar  indication  of  Paul's  recognition  of  the  Spirit's  assignment  of 
gifts  in  the  local  church  is  found  in  Acts  20  :  28.  What  light  does 
Acts  15  :  28  throw  upon  the  current  conception  regarding  the  relation 
of  the  Spirit  to  the  officers  of  the  Church  ? 

In  I  Cor.  there  also  appears  Paul's  conception  of  the  local  church 
as  a  building,  sacred  because  it  is  the  residence  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the 
destruction  of  which  by  any  factious  man  is  a  piece  of  impious  sacri- 
lege. Read  3  :  1 6,  17. 

3.  In  Paul's  later  letters,  as  has  already  been  seen,  the  Church  as 
a  whole   is  represented   by  him  as  the  body  of  Christ.      Read  Eph. 
4:  1-16,  and  state  what  it  represents  to  be  the  relation  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  to  the  Church  universal. 

The  real  principle  of  unity  among  all  Christians  in  the  world, 
underlying  superficial  differences  of  polity  and  theological  opin- 
ion, is  that  stated  by  Paul  in  this  passage.  Is  there  any  sugges- 
tion in  this  paragraph  as  to  the  way  in  which  some  greater  sense  of 
unity  can  be  developed  in  the  consciousness  of  the  Church  ? 

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Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 

STUDY  XXVI. — C&e  3tpofitoltc  Conception  of  t&e  Kelation  of  t(je 
SDtedpU  to  t&e  l)olp  Spirit 

SIXTH  DAY  :  THE  HOLY    SPIRIT'S  PRESENCE  A    PROPHECY 
OF  THE  FUTURE 

1.  There  are  certain  statements  in  Paul's  teaching   regarding  the 
Holy  Spirit  that  should  be  noticed  here  in  passing.     They  relate  to 
the  permanence  of  the  personal  relationship  established  between  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  the  disciple.      The  first  of  them  is  found  in  Rom. 
8  : 1 1 .      What  is  it  here  said  the  disciple  may  hope  for  in  view  of  his 
connection  with  the  Holy  Spirit?      Read  Rom.  8  :  23,  which  contains 
a  more  explicit  statement.      In  this  sentence  the  presence  of  the  Spirit 
is  represented  as  the  beginning,  or  "first  fruits,"  of  something.      Of 
what  is  it  the  beginning? 

2.  In  II  Cor.  1:22  occurs  an  interesting  expression.      The  critical 
words  here  are  "sealed"  and  "earnest."      A  seal  set  upon  a  docu- 
ment is  an  indication  that  its  contents  have  been  examined  and  approved 
by  a  competent  authority.      What  constitutes  the  disciple's  evidence 
that  he  has  been  approved  by  God  ?      Cf.  Eph.  I  :  13,  14;  4:30. 
Of  course  this  seal  of  approval  has  nothing  mechanical  about  it,  but  is  a 
vital  experience  that  affects  real  life  and  character. 

The  other  word  which  occurs  in  II  Cor.  I  :  22  is  found  also  in  II 
Cor.  5:5;  Eph.  1:14.  It  is  used  of  a  preliminary  payment  made 
to  indicate  that  the  person  engaged  in  the  transaction  is  in  earnest.  The 
presence  of  the  Spirit,  then,  is  a  foretaste  of  what  God  has  for  us  in  the 
future.  An  effort  will  be  made  later  to  ascertain  what  is  to  be  found 
in  the  apostolic  teaching  regarding  the  character  of  the  life  to  come. 
For  the  present  it  is  needful  simply  to  notice  the  statement  here  made. 


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STUDY  XXVI.—  (£|)e  &pofitolu  Conception  of  t&e  Eelatton  of  t&e 

to  t&e  J)olp  Spirit 


SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

Review  the  ground  covered  during  the  week.  Did  the  apostles 
conceive  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  a  personal  intelligence  ?  What  is  the 
evidence  that  they  thought  of  Him  as  personally  associated  with  the 
disciple  ?  Enumerate  the  advantages  to  the  disciple  of  this  association. 
What  is  His  relation  to  the  Church  in  the  world  ? 

«'  My  God,  I  heard  this  day 
That  none  doth  build  a  stately  habitation, 
But  he  that  means  to  dwell  therein. 
What  house  more  stately  hath  there  been, 
Or  can  be,  than  is  Man  ?  to  whose  creation 
All  things  are  in  decay." 

"  More  servants  wait  on  Man 
Than  he'll  take  notice  of  :  in  every  path 

He  treads  down  that  which  doth  befriend  him 
When  sickness  makes  him  pale  and  wan. 
O  mighty  love  !     Man  is  one  world,  and  hath 
Another  to  attend  him. 

"  Since  then,  my  God,  Thou  hast 
So  brave  a  palace  built,  O  dwell  in  it, 
That  it  may  dwell  with  Thee  at  last  ! 
Till  then  afford  us  so  much  wit, 
That,  as  the  world  serves  us,  we  may  serve  Thee, 
And  both  Thy  servants  be." 

George  Herbert,  Man 


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STUDY  XXVII.—  &&e  Apostolic  Conception  of  t&e  CHattple  in  t&e 


FIRST  DAY  :  THE  APOSTOLIC  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  WORLD 

1.  Before  considering  what  the  apostles  thought  of  the  relation  of 
the  disciple  to  the  world,  it  is  necessary  to  make  a  general  statement 
regarding  the  apostolic  conception  of  the  world.      The  inquiry  at  this 
point  is  not  concerning  the  apostolic  theory  of  the  origin  and  destiny  of 
human  society,  but  concerning  the  apostolic  theory  of  the  relation  of 
contemporary  society  to  God. 

Probably  few  men  outside  the  Roman  army  had  traveled  as  widely  over 
the  world  as  had  Paul  (II  Cor.  II  :  23-27  ;  Rom.  15  :  19,  22-25), 
and  he  knew  not  only  men  but  man.  In  consequence  of  his  wide 
acquaintance  with  men  and  his  own  personal  experience,  Paul  broke 
largely  away  from  his  inherited  rabbinical  opinions  regarding  the  con- 
dition and  possibilities  of  the  non-Jewish  world.  The  first  question  is, 
What  did  he  conceive  to  be  the  moral  condition  of  the  world  and  its 
attitude  toward  God?  Read  Rom.  I  :  18-2  :  2.  In  Rom.  8  :  1-8 
Paul  seems  to  say  that  the  ordinary  man  does  not  care  for  God  (v.  7), 
that  is,  is  fundamentally  selfish.  Paul  lost  prestige  with  his  own  country- 
men, among  other  reasons,  because  he  discarded  their  cherished  belief 
that  Jews  were  an  exception  to  this  statement,  Rom.  3  :  19,  20.  See 
also  in  Eph.  2:1-3  what  appears  to  be  a  statement  of  his  viev  of  the 
world  ;  and  a  further  statement  in  vv.  II,  12.  Read  also  4  :  17-19. 

What  was  Paul's  view  of  the  attitude  of  God  toward  the  world? 
Paul  gives  two  answers  to  this  that  seem  to  be  contradictory,  but  really 
combine  in  a  deeper  synthesis.  See  Rom.  i  :  18  ;  2  :  5  ;  Eph.  £  :  36  ; 
II  Cor.  5:15. 

2.  In  Paul's  day  certain    philosophical   teachers,  more  or  less  in- 
fluenced   by   Christian  thought,    regarded  themselves    as  set  to  teach 
"wisdom"  to  a  select  spiritual  aristocracy.      Against    this    tendency 
Paul  vigorously  protested,  and  announced  a  democratic  gospel  through 
the  acceptance  of  which  everything  desirable  would  be  given    to  all 
men.      Read  Col.  I  :  28,  emphasizing   "every"  and  "all."      Read 
also  Rom.  I  :  16. 

3.  In  John  there  appears  a  view  of  the  world  and  God's  attitude 
toward  it  like  that  of  Paul.      Note  John's  brief  description    of  the 
"  world  "  as  he  saw  it  in  its  luxuriant  pride  in  Ephesus,  I  John  2:17. 
See  also  3  :  I,    13;   5  :  19.       On  the  other  hand,  note  what  John 
represents  to  be  God's  attitude  toward  the  world,  I  John  2:2;  4:  14. 

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STUDY  XXVII.—  OC^e  &pofitolic  Conception  of  t&e£>tecipie  in  t&e 


SECOND  DAY  :    THE  DISCIPLE    IN  THE  DAILY   LIFE   OF 
THE  WORLD 

1.  One  of  Paul's  fundamental  positions,  based  upon  his  own  ex- 
perience, was  that  in  connecting  himself  with  Christ  he  had  passed  into 
a  new  world.      He  expresses  this  thought  in  strong  language.      Read 
Gal.  6  :  14  ;  II  Cor.  5:17;   Phil.  3  :  20  ;   and  especially  Col.  3:1-3. 

Yet  there  is  an  entirely  different  side  to  Paul's  thought.  He  is  full 
of  human  interest.  He  by  no  means  proposed  to  have  his  converts 
withdraw  from  active  connection  with  the  life  of  the  world  ;  and  when 
he  was  once  misunderstood  to  have  urged  this,  protested  almost  im- 
patiently. See  I  Cor.  5  ip-n.  He  took  great  pains  to  keep  his 
converts  from  thinking  that  they  were  exempt  from  civil  responsibilities. 
Read  Rom.  13  :  1-7.  What  conception  of  the  relation  of  civil  govern- 
ment to  God  is  here  expressed  ? 

He  expected  them  to  take  part  in  the  regular  daily  work  of  the  world. 
Read  I  Thess.  4  :  1  1,  12.  What  does  the  first  part  of  v.  12  mean? 
That  is,  How  was  the  failure  to  work  likely  to  result  in  dishonest  deal- 
ing with  non-  Christians  ?  Cf.  also  II  Thess.  3:10;  Rom.  13:8. 

2.  Note  what  is  revealed  regarding  Peter's  conception  of  the  dis- 
ciple's relation  to  the  world  by  two  words  in  I  Pet.  2:11.      Note  the 
further  thought  in  vv.   13-17. 

3.  What  is  meant  by  the  last  clause  of  James  I  :  27  ?  By  4  :  4,  5  ? 
This  does  not  involve    withdrawal   from    business  life,  for    note  the 
assumption  in  4:13-16  that    business  life  will    continue.      In    what 
spirit  would  he  have  his  readers  do  business  ? 

4.  What  does  John  mean  by  the  injunction  in  I  John  2:15? 

It  is  remarkable  that  those  who  so  confidently  expected  the  speedy 
coming  of  Jesus  to  overturn  existing  institutions  and  establish  the  new 
order,  could  have  kept  their  converts  so  sanely  and  soberly  in  touch 
with  the  daily  life  of  the  world.  They  were  to  be  in  close  contact 
with  everything  that  was  wholesome  in  the  world,  looking  upon  it  as 
coming  from  Him  who  "giveth  us  richly  all  things  to  enjoy  "  (I  Tim. 
6:17);  and  yet  they  were  to  be  of  an  utterly  different  spirit  from 
that  which  dominated  the  civilization  in  which  they  lived.  They  were 
tc  take  their  part  in  all  its  daily  work,  but  to  move  about  among  their 
associates  as  those  possessed  by  the  deep  peacefulness  of  a  great  and 
steadfast  hope.  Read  Tit.  2  :  11-14. 

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THIRD  DAY  :  THE  DISCIPLE  TEMPTED  IN  THE  WORLD 

I  .  The  fact  that  the  disciples  were  so  close  to  the  life  of  the  world, 
and  yet  were  expected  to  act  so  steadily  under  the  influence  of  an  un- 
worldly set  of  motives,  made  it  necessary  for  the  apostles  to  warn 
them  against  yielding  to  temptation.  The  questions  to  be  asked  are, 
What  were  their  most  serious  temptations  ?  How  were  they  to  be  met  ? 

2.  The   temptations    most  frequently  specified  are  those  arising  from 
the    previous    life  of  the  disciple.       Read    I    Cor.     6:$-n.       The 
situation  is  clearly  stated  in  the  contrast  presented  in  Col.  3  :  I  -  1  1  . 
Read  the   passage.      The   temptation   to  give  up  because  of  opposition 
was   an  ever-present  temptation  in   the  apostolic  age  as  it  is  in  many 
parts  of  Christendom   to-day.      Another  class  of  temptations  are  those 
that  arise    from   the  intimate  association  of  disciples  with  each  other, 
and  the  consequent  opportunities   for  friction.      Read  Col.  3:12-17; 
Phil.  2  :  1-4.      The  strenuous   statements  of  Jesus  about  one   class  of 
the  tempted  find  echoes  in  the  apostolic  teaching,  I  Tim.  6:9,  10, 
17-19. 

Peter,  like  Paul,  warns  against  the  temptations  springing  out  of  pre- 
vious habits  of  life.  See  I  Pet.  2:11,  12;  4  :  1-6. 

3.  The  Epistle  of  James  is  evidently  written  with  reference  to  the 
needs  of  men  sorely  tempted.      Notice  the  temptations   specified  in  I  : 
19,  20  ;   2  :  1-4.      Notice  the  clear  statement  of  the  temptation  to  be 
satisfied  merely  with  a  right  theory  of  life,  2:14-16.      Read  carefully 
3:1-8;  4:11  ;  5:9. 

4.  The  author  of  Hebrews  makes  eloquent  protest  against  the  dan- 
ger of  a  decaying  conviction,  and   the  final  sinking  into  fatal  kthargy 
after  a  period  of  earnest  activity.     See  particularly  3:12-4:1;    10:23, 
32-39;    12  :    1-3. 

5.  John    fears    three    things  :     that    the    subtle     influence    of    the 
"  world  "  will  dim  the  disciple's  sense  of  fellowship  with  the  Father 
(1  John  2  :  i  5-17)  ;  that  the  disciple  may  be  content  with  a  theoreti- 
cal regard   for  his  brother   (3:7-10,  17,    18);  and  that   certain  false 
views  regarding  Jesus   may  gain   currency  among  them    (2  :  18-26; 
4:1-3). 


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STUDY  XXVII.—  C&e  &p06toltc  Conception  of  t&e  Diaciple  in  t&e 


FOURTH  DAY  :  THE  DISCIPLE  RESISTING  TEMPTATION 

K  The  individual  man  was  to  the  apostles,  as  to  Jesus,  a  being  of 
vast  significance.  For  him  to  yield  to  temptation  was  an  indescribable 
calamity,  and  to  resist  meant  a  correspondingly  great  success.  Paul 
has  drawn  the  most  vivid  picture  of  the  tempted  disciple  and  the  signifi- 
cance of  his  conflict.  The  figure,  which  occurs  in  its  most  complete 
form  in  one  of  his  prison  epistles,  may  have  been  suggested  to  him  by 
the  daily  spectacle  of  his  soldier  guard  putting  on  his  armor  piece  by 
piece.  Read  Eph.  6:10-18.  With  whom  does  he  engage  in  con- 
flict ?  With  what  resources  ?  With  what  prospect  of  success  ? 

The  secret  of  resistance  to  temptation,  as  the  apostles  state  it  in  va- 
rious forms,  is  to  realize  the  presence  of  God.  The  vivid  imagination 
of  the  author  of  Hebrews  puts  the  matter  effectively  in  1  1  :  27.  Any 
device  that  helps  to  make  the  presence  of  God  a  reality  at  the  moment 
of  temptation,  or  more  especially  any  habit  of  life  that  tends  to  secure 
a  steadily  deepening  acquaintance  with  God,  is  recognized  by  them  as  of 
value  in  resisting  temptation.  State  in  your  own  language  three  prac- 
tical directions  for  resisting  temptation  that  are  stated  or  implied  in  Eph. 
6  :  17,  1  8.  Notice  another  direction  in  4  :  26,  27.  Any  ill  will  toward 
a  fellow  man  of  necessity  obscures  the  sense  of  the  presence  of  God. 

While  one  cannot  will  not  to  be  tempted  and  cannot  will  merely  to 
stop  giving  attention  to  that  which  tempts  him,  he  can  will  to  give  his 
attention  to  something  else.  Read  Phil.  4:8,  9,  noting  the  great 
source  of  relief  stated  in  the  last  clause.  While  one  cannot  prepare 
himself  for  an  emergency  in  a  moment,  he  can  establish  certain  habit* 
of  thought  that  will  be  of  service  to  him  in  time  of  need. 

See  also  Paul's  conception  of  God  as  present  with  His  way  of 
escape  in  every  temptation,  past  which  exit  from  the  situation  every 
man  who  yields  has  first  to  go,  I  Cor.  10:13. 

2.  In  James  the  recommendation  is  that  a  man  school  himself  to 
realize  clearly  what  the  two  possible  issues  of  temptation  are.  Read  I  : 
1  2-  1  6.  He  can  establish  certain  habitual  views  of  temptation  that 
will  help  him  to  resist  when  the  temptation  comes. 

3  .  In  Peter  it  is  the  imminence  of  the  judgment  which  Christ  will 
personally  accomplish  at  His  coming,  with  its  rewards  and  punish- 
ments, that  is  urged  as  a  motive  to  resist  temptation.  Glean  what 
bears  upon  this  subject  in  I  Pet.  4:1-19.  Read  also  5:8-10. 

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4.  In  John  it  is  habitual  association  with  God  that  entrenches  the 
disciple  in  a  position  from  which  he  can  resist  the  attacks  of  temptation. 
Read  I  John  4:4;  5:4,18-21. 

"  And  so  I  live,  you  see, 
Go  through  the  world,  try,  prove,  reject, 
Prefer,  still  struggling  to  effect 
My  warfare  j  happy  that  I  can 
Be  crossed  and  thwarted  as  a  man, 
Not  left  in  God's  contempt  apart, 
With  ghastly  smooth  life,  dead  at  heart, 
Tame  in  earth's  paddock  as  her  prize. 
Thank  God,  she  still  each  method  tries 
To  catch  me,  who  may  yet  escape, 
She  knows, — the  fiend  in  angel's  shape  ! 
Thank  God,  no  paradise  stands  barred 
To  entry,  and  I  find  it  hard 
To  be  a  Christian,  as  I  said  ! 
Still  every  now  and  then  my  head 
Raised  glad,  sinks  mournful — all  grows  drear 
Spite  of  the  sunshine,  while  I  fear 
And  think,  *  How  dreadful  to  be  grudged 
No  ease  henceforth,  as  one  that's  judged, 
Condemned  to  earth  forever,  shut 
From  heaven  ! ' 

But  Easter-Day  breaks  !  But 
Christ  rises  !     Mercy  every  way 
Is  infinite, — and  who  can  say  ?  '* 

Browning,  Easter-Day, 


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FIFTH    DAY  :    THE    DISCIPLE    BEARING   WITNESS   IN    THE 

WORLD 

I  .  In  the  apostolic  thought  the  disciple  stands  in  the  world  as  a  wit-- 
ness. Acts  5  :  20  expresses  the  apostolic  conception  in  a  single  sen- 
tence. The  disciple  finds  himself  living  a  certain  kind  of  life,  and  bears 
witness  to  Jesus  Christ  as  the  source  of  the  life. 

The  first  concern  of  the  apostles  was  that  their  converts  should  have 
the  life.  Trace  this  idea  through  I  Peter  2:11,12;  3  :  1,  2,  I  5,  16. 

2.  What  relation  does  Paul  in  Phil.  2  :  14-16  represent  the  disciple 
to  sustain  to  the  world  ?  Read  Col.  4  :  5,  6.  "  Opportunity  "  for 
what  (see  marginal  reading)  ? 

Note  Paul's  conception  of  the  disciple's  share  in  the  witnessing  of 
another  in  different  parts  of  the  world.  Read  Eph.  6  :  18-20;  Phil. 
i  :  19,  20  ;  Col.  4:2-4;  II  Thess.  3:1. 

3  .  The  testimony  of  the  disciple  often  involves  suffering.  The  first 
letter  of  Peter  was  written  to  those  whose  confession  of  the  Lordship 
of  Jesus  had  resulted  in  suffering.  Read  I  Pet.  4:12-19.  What 
motives  are  here  used  to  secure  persistence  in  the  testimony? 

Notice  in  Col.  I  :  24  Paul's  conception  of  the  significance  of  his  suf- 
ferings. In  the  process  of  building  up  a  body  of  Christ  in  the  world 
through  testimony  Paul  experienced  suffering.  What  nerved  him  to 
endure  it  and  even  to  rejoice  in  it  ? 

4.  The  disciple  who  passes  through  suffering  patiently  and  peace- 
fully makes  it  evident,  as  he  can  do  in  almost  no  other  way,  that  there 
are  hidden  resources  in  his  life,  that  he  really  is,  as  he  says  he  is,  asso- 
ciated with  a  Person  whose  friendship  is  a  permanent  and  sufficient 
satisfaction. 


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STUDY  XXVII.—  C&e  gpostoitc  Conception  of  t&e  SDiwtpU  fn  tl)c 


SIXTH  DAY  :  JOHN'S  CONCEPTION  OF  THE  DISCIPLE'S  TES- 
TIMONY TO  THE  FUNDAMENTAL  CERTITUDES  OF  HIS 
LIFE 

1.  In  John's   conception,  as  has   already   been  seen,  the   disciple 
stands  in  an  evil  world.      He  stands  bearing  testimony  to  certain  things 
of  which,  on  the  basis  of  experience,  he  is  sure.      The  characteristic  ex- 
pression of  I  John  is  "we  know."      The  epistle  can  be  read  through 
in  less  than  ten  minutes.      Read  it,  noting  what  it  is  of  which  the  dis- 
ciples, as  they  face  the  world,  are  able  so  confidently  to  say,  "  We 
know." 

2.  The  testimony  of  a  man's  life  is  composed  of  his  real  convic- 
tions, convictions  which  deepen  with  the  years.      Some  convictions  dis- 
appear in  time  ;  those  that  abide  constitute  his  message.      Some  of  the 
fundamental  certitudes  described  in  the  epistle  may  not  be  discovered 
by  simply  looking  for  the  phrase  "  we  know,"  as  suggested  above. 
Consider  the  following  among  others  you  may  have  discovered  :   "I 
know  that  I  love  the  friends  of  Jesus,"  3:14.      "I  know  that  God 
abides  with, me,"  4:13.      "I  know  that  God  hears  prayer,"  3:21, 
22;  5  :  14,    15.      "  I  know  that   it  will   be  well  with  me  in    the 
future,"  3:2;  5  :  13. 

3.  Perhaps  we  do  not  adequately  estimate  the  value  of  a  life  that 
goes  steadily  on,  finding  in  its  experience  these  things  to  be  fundamental 
certitudes,  and  bearing  its  quiet  testimony  to  them  through  sorrow,  suf- 
fering, joy,  success,  defeat,  year  after  year  before  a  restless,  dissatisfied 
world.      That  which  gives  the  disciple's  testimony  its  power  is  the 
fact  that  the  disciple  evidently  has  something  that  others  have  not. 

"  Love  is  and  was  my  King  and  Lord, 
And  will  be,  tho'  as  yet  I  keep 
Within  his  court  on  earth,  and  sleep 
Encompass' d  by  his  faithful  guard, 

*'  And  hear  at  times  a  sentinel 

Who  moves  about  from  place  to  place. 
And  whispers  to  the  worlds  of  space, 
In  the  deep  night,  that  all  is  well." 

Tennyson,  In  Memoriam. 


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SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

Review  the  work  of  the  week  and  state  briefly  the  apostolic  concep- 
tion of  the  world  ;  the  disciple'  s  part  in  its  work  ;  the  temptations  that 
come  to  him,  and  the  way  in  which  he  is  expected  to  resist  them  ;  the 
substance  and  method  of  his  testimony. 

"  The  Son  of  God  goes  forth  to  war, 

A  kingly  crown  to  gain  ; 
His  blood-red  banner  streams  afar  : 
Who  follows  in  his  train  ? 

•«  Who  best  can  drink  his  cup  of  woe, 

Triumphant  over  pain, 
Who  patient  bears  his  cross  below—- 
He follows  in  his  train. 

«  The  martyr  first,  whose  eagle  eye 
Could  pierce  beyond  the  grave, 
He  saw  his  Master  in  the  sky, 
And  called  on  him  to  save  : 

"  A  glorious  band,  the  chosen  few, 

On  whom  the  Spirit  came  — 
Twelve  valiant  saints,  their  hope  they  knew, 
And  mocked  the  cross  and  flame. 

"  They  climbed  the  steep  ascent  of  heaven 

Through  peril,  toil,  and  pain  : 
O  God  !  to  us  may  grace  be  given 
To  follow  in  their  train." 

Reginald  Heber 


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STUDY  XXVIII.  —  C&e  &po0tolic  Conception  of  t&e  £)tecipie  in 

(Eternity 
FIRST  DAY:  THE  DISCIPLE  LOOKING  INTO  ETERNITY 

i  .  Before  determining  the  apostolic  conception  of  what  the  details  of 
the  disciple*  s  eternity  will  be,  ascertain  the  apostolic  view  of  the  hope- 
ful spirit  with  which  he  looks  into  the  future.  There  are  certain  gen- 
eral expressions  which  occur  with  some  frequency.  Read  for  instance 
Phil.  3  :  12-14,  and  analyze  the  last  phrase  of  v.  1  4.  Who  calls  ? 
In  what  sense  is  it  a  "high"  or  "upward"  (marginal  reading)  calling? 
That  is,  up  to  what  or  whom  ?  In  what  sense  is  it  "  in  Christ  "  ? 

In  another  of  the  prison  epistles  Paul  expresses  solicitude  lest  his 
converts  should  not  realize  what  high  hopes  are  warranted  in  view  of 
their  discipleship.  Read  Eph.  I  :  15-23,  noticing  particularly  the  ex- 
pression in  v.  1  8.  Cf.  also  Eph.  4  :  4.  See,  in  still  another  prison 
epistle,  the  expression  found  in  Col.  1:5. 

Another  general  expression  that  needs  particular  notice  is  found  in 
Rom.  5:2.  What  is  it  that  is  hoped  for  here  ?  Do  not  spend  much 
time  at  present  in  trying  to  think  through  the  meaning  of  the  word 
"glory,"  for  it  will  be  considered  later.  The  point  at  present  is  to 
appreciate  the  profound  and  unquenchable  hopefulness  with  which  the 
apostles  urged  the  disciple  to  look  into  eternity. 

2.  Notice  what  Peter  considers  to  be  the  great  characteristic  of  the 
disciple,  which  the  world  will  wonder  at  and  ask  to  have  explained, 
I  Pet.  3:15.      Cf.  also  i  13,  21. 

3.  The  author  of  Hebrews  was  concerned  to  keep  his  readers  per- 
sistent in  the  Christian  life.      Notice  the  aspect  of  the  Christian  life 
which  he  emphasized,  3  :  6  ;  6  :  1  1,  18  ;  7  :  19.      In  I  John  3  :  i- 
4  see  John's  view  of  the  disciple's  outlook,  and  the  effect  of  that  out- 
look upon  his  present  life. 

4.  The  apostles  came  with  their  great  hope  into  a  despairing  age 
whose  philosophy  commended    suicide.      Seneca    said,    "  Seest    thou 
yon  steep  height  ?     Thence  is  the  descent  to  freedom.      Seest  thou  yon 
sea,  yon  river,  yon  well  ?     Freedom  sits  there  in  the  depths.     Seest 
thou  yon  low,  withered  tree  ?     There  freedom  hangs.      Seest  thou  thy 
neck,  thy  throat,  thy  heart  ?     They  are  ways  of  escape  from  bondage." 
But  there  was  a  man  in  a  Roman  prison  who  could  rebuke  this  cow- 
ardly mood  of  a  degenerate  age  by  sending  out  from  his  prison  such 
messages  as  have  been  cited.     The  living  God  in  Christ  had  called  men, 
and  it  was  certain  that  He  would  do  for  and  with  them  something 
worthy  of  Himself. 

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STUDY  XXVIII.—  (E&e  Apostolic  Conception  of  t&e  EHsctple  in 

(Kternitp 

SECOND  DAY  :  THE  DISCIPLE  AND  DEATH 

1.  That  which  blocked  the  disciple's  view  of  eternity  was  death. 
Even  some  of  those  who  had  the   disciple's  great  hope  awakened   in 
them  felt  that  if  death  should  overtake  them  before  the  Lord  returned, 
they  would  be  shut  out  from   what  they  had  hoped    for.      Read    I 
Thess.  4  :  13-18. 

The  apostles  taught  their  converts  to  regard  death  as  a  mere  incident 
in  the  disciple's  career,  which  had  no  power  to  diminish  his  hope. 
See  Paul's  own  personal  feeling  about  the  matter  in  Phil.  I  :  20-24, 
and  his  song  of  victory  over  the  grave,  I  Cor.  15:  55,  57. 

2.  The  source  of  the  confidence  with  which  the  disciple  faces  death 
is  stated  by  Paul  in  I  Thess.  4:14:  the  indestructibility  of  discipleship, 
the  inseparableness  of  the  disciple  and  his  Lord.      This  position  was  a 
logical  consequence  of  the  apostolic  view  of  what  discipleship  meant  to 
Jesus.      The  apostles  felt   that  the  friendship  between  Jesus  and  His 
disciples  was  not  a  one-sided  relationship.     Jesus  did  not  merely  suffer 
Himself  to  be  loved,  but  Himself  loved.      "  Who  loved  me  and  gave 
Himself  up  for  me,"  (Gal.  2  :  20)  was  the  apostolic  description  of  Him. 
If  whenever  hour  after  hour  through  the  years  a  disciple  died,  the  tender 
relation  of  discipleship  forever  ceased,  then  Jesus  would  continually  be 
suffering  the  distress  of  profound  bereavement.    He  would  be  always  at 
the  grave  of  Lazarus,  though  with  immeasurably  greater  reason  for  grief, 
because  then  He  wept  in  sympathy  and  with  sure  hope  of  His  friend's 
resurrection,  but  in  this  case  He  would  sorrow  as  those  that  have  no  hope. 

3.  Sometimes  the  disciple's  indifference  to  death  is  based  by  Paul 
on  the  permanence  of  the  disciple's  relation  to  the  Holy  Spirit.      Read 
Rom.  8  :  1  1  . 

4.  In  John  3:1,  2,  although  death  may  not  be  distinctly  contem- 
plated, there  seems  to  be  an  underlying  assumption  that  God  would  not 
let  His  child  sink  into  non-existence. 

"  Grow  old  along  with  me  ! 
The  best  is  yet  to  be, 

The  last  of  life,  for  which  the  first  was  mad*  f 
Our  times  are  in  His  hand 
Who  saith,  <  A  whole  I  planned, 
Youth  shows  but  half;  trust  God  :  see  all,  nor  be  afraid  !'  * 

"  Thou  waitedst  age  :  wait  death  nor  be  afraid  I  '* 

Browning, 
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STUDY  XXVIII.—  C&e  Slpodtoltc  Conception  of  t&e  £)tectpU  in 

<£ternitp 
THIRD  DAY  :  THE  DISCIPLE  AN  HEIR  OF  GOD 

1.  It  is  what  the  disciple  has  already  experienced  that  furnishes  the 
ground  of  his  great  hope  as  he  faces  eternity.      One  thing  that  Paul  tried 
to  accomplish  for  the  men  and  women  whom  he  gathered  into  churches 
was  to  awaken  in  them  a  sense  of  who  they  were.      The  Johannine 
representation  of  Jesus  as  sharing  all  things  with  His  disciples  appears 
also   in   Paul.      See   the   remarkable  expression  in  Rom.  8  :  16,    17. 
By  virtue  of  the  disciple's  attachment  of  himself  to  Jesus  he  has  already 
come  with  Jesus  into  a  relation  to  God  described  as  joint-heirship.    Heir- 
ship  has  an  implication  of  futurity.    The  thought  seems  to  be  the  daring 
conception  that  the  disciple  shall  share  what  comes  from  God  to  Jesus. 

Notice  in  v.  1  8  the  word  by  which  Paul  designates  this  inheritance. 
It  is  needful  to  reach  at  least  some  partial  conception  of  what  the  word 
"glory"  meant  to  Paul.  A  hint  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  word  is 
found  in  the  immediate  context,  vv.  19-24.  What  are  the  disciples 
represented  to  be  waiting  for  as  part  of  their  "inheritance  "  ?  The 
fact  that  Paul  had  seen  on  the  Damascus  road  the  "  glorious"  body 
of  Jesus  perhaps  accounts  in  part  for  his  strong  emphasis  of  the 
splendor  of  the  disciple's  glorified  body.  Cf.  also  Phil.  3:21.  What 
further  explication  of  this  "glory  "  that  the  disciple  inherits  is  found 
in  Rom.  8:29?  Note  also  the  last  clause  of  v.  30.  Does  Paul 
mean  by  the  "  image  of  His  Son  "  in  v.  29  anything  more  than  the 
external  manifestation  of  the  personality  of  Jesus  which  he  had  seen 
near  Damascus  ?  Does  he  have  in  mind  the  moral  character  of  Jesus  ? 

Note  also  Rom.  5  :  2.  Here  again  the  question  is,  What  concep- 
tion had  Paul  in  mind  when  he  used  this  language  ?  What  did  he 
really  hope  for  ?  Read  also  II  Cor.  4:  16-5:4.  Note  that  whatever 
Paul  and  the  other  apostolic  writers  meant  by  the  word,  they  conceived 
of  the  "  glory"  as  something  that  Jesus  shared  with  them  (see  again 
Rom.  8:29;  II  Thess.  2:14;  Phil.  3:21);  and  that  they  thought 
of  it  as  a  fit  consummation  of  human  existence  (II  Cor.  5:  1-5). 

2.  The  fact  that  Paul's  supreme  interest  was  in  the  moral  character 
of  his  converts  leads  to  the   conviction  that  in  his  conception  of  their 
future  he  would   take  large  account  of  moral   qualities,  and  that  in  his 
emphasis  of  the  glorified  body    he  thinks  of  it  as  a  fit  manifestation  of 
personal  moral  excellence. 

Notice  two  other  general  statements  regarding  what  the  disciple  as  an 
heir  of  God  anticipates  possessing,  I  Cor.  3:21,  22;  Rom.  8:31,  32. 

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STUDY  XXVIII.— C&e  Apostolic  Conception  of  t&e  SDtecipIe  in 

Cternttp 

FOURTH   DAY  :    THE  DISCIPLE'S    ETERNITY    A    CONTINU- 
ANCE OF  PERSONAL  RELATIONSHIPS 

1.  It  has  been  seen  in  the  teaching  of  Jesus  that  life  consists  in  per- 
sonal relationships,   in   friendships — that    he  who   loves    God  and   his 
neighbor  lives.      The  apostolic  conception  is  that  personal  relationships, 
in  a  purified  and  glorified  form,  persist  in  eternity  and  will  constitute 
life  in  its  fulness  then  as  their  beginnings  constitute  real  life  now. 

Notice  the  terms  in  which  Paul  describes  the  disciple's  life  in  eter- 
nity. Read  first  I  Thess.  4  :  13-18.  What  personal  relationships  are 
described  in  v.  17  ?  What  is  the  bearing  of  II  Cor.  5  :  6-8  on  this 
subject  ?  Notice  the  suggestive  word,  occurring  twice  in  Rom.  8  : 
35"39>  ^at  designates  the  opposite  of  personal  relationships. 

The  letter  to  the  Philippians  was  written  when  Paul  was  thinking 
definitely  of  his  eternity.  What  conception  is  expressed  in  I  :  23? 
In  Col.  3:4? 

An  exceedingly  suggestive  expression  is  found  in  the  last  clause  of 
Col.  I  :  27.  Think  its  thought  through.  Exactly  what  is  it  that  is 
here  described  as  the  ground  of  Paul's  expectation  ?  What  is  there 
about  this  personal  relationship  that  is  calculated  to  secure  glory  ? 

In  Paul's  figure  of  victors  at  the  end  of  life's  stadium,  a  figure  used 
shortly  before  his  death,  notice  the  personalities  that  appear,  II  Tim. 
4  :  7,  8. 

2.  The  eloquent  author  of  Hebrews  contrasts  the  scene  at  Mount 
Sinai  (Ex.  19  :  10-25)  w^h  tne  one  which  his  imagination  produces 
when  he  endeavors  to  picture  the  disciple's  eternity.      Read  12  :  18- 
24,  noticing  the  terms  in  which  he  describes  the  life  of  the  age  to 
come.      Derive  everything  you   can  from  this    passage  regarding    his 
conception  of  the  disciple's  eternity. 

3.  What  is  John's  conception  as  suggested  in  I  John    3  :  2,  3  ? 
Notice  anything  in  Rev.  21  :  1-4  that  implies  personal  relationship  ? 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  Jesus  and  His  Apostles 


STUDY  XXVIII.—  C&e  &po0toltc  Conception  of  t&e  SDisciple  in 

Cternitp 

FIFTH  DAY  :    THE  DISCIPLE'S    OCCUPATION  IN  ETERNITY 

I  .  One  of  the  most  conspicuous  features  of  man  as  we  know  him 
now  is  his  capacity  for  achievement.  Read  in  Gen.  I  :  28  the  com- 
mission with  which  he  is  represented  to  have  been  projected  into  ex- 
istence. A  large  part  of  the  history  of  civilization  is  the  record  of 
man's  activity  in  "subduing"  the  earth  and  all  the  natural  forces  in 
the  midst  of  which  he  moves.  He  has  manifested  an  irresistible  in- 
stinct of  inquiry,  achievement,  and  domination.  The  present  query  is 
this  :  Did  the  apostles  have  any  conception  of  the  occupation  in  eter- 
nity of  this  resourceful  and  versatile  being  called  man  ?  Do  they  give 
evidence  of  having  thought  about  what  they  should  themselves  do  in 
eternity  ? 

Their  utterances  on  this  subject  are  confined  to  generalities.  The 
fact  that  they  experienced  so  much  of  persecution  naturally  led  to  the 
somewhat  negative  conception  expressed,  for  instance,  in  II  Thess. 
I  :  3-12,  especially  v.  7.  See  also  I  Pet.  5  :  10. 

2.  An  inference  is  to  be  drawn  from  the  apostolic  conception  of 
Jesus  as  one  who  shares  all  things  with  His  disciples.  He  is  con- 
ceived to  be  in  some  measure  sharing  His  present  occupation  with  the 
disciples.  See  Col.  I  :  24,  29.  It  would  seem  to  be  fair  to  infer 
that  a  being  of  His  vast  energy  will  not  be  left  eternally  unoccupied, 
and  that  He  will  continue  to  share  His  occupation  with  His  disciples. 

The  same  inference  seems  to  be  warranted  by  the  conception  ex- 
pressed in  Rom.  8  :  16,  17.  A  son  inherits  his  father's  "  business." 
Cf.  Jesus'  expression  in  Luke  2  :  49  (margin). 

We  can  only  say  that  there  is  ground  for  inferring  that  some  occupa- 
tion worthy  of  God,  and  of  Christ,  and  of  His  disciples  will  be  pro- 
vided, and  that  there  will  be  ever-enlarging  opportunities  for  the  ever- 
increasing  powers  of  the  disciple. 

"  And,  doubtless  unto  thee  is  given 
A  life  that  bears  immortal  fruit 
In  those  great  offices  that  suit 
The  full-grown  energies  of  heaven.*' 

Tennyson,  In  Memoriam. 


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STUDY  XXVIII.—  (E&e  &po*toiit  Conception  of  t&e  THaciple  in 

(Ktetnitp 

SIXTH    DAY  :    THE  BROTHERHOOD    OF  THE  ENDLESS  LIFE 

I  .  A  basal  idea  in  the  apostolic  thought  regarding  the  future  is  the 
persistence  of  character.  Notice  the  Pauline  statement  of  this  in  I 
Cor.  13:13.  It  is  implied  in  15  :  58.  What  is  therein  the  preced- 
ing context  that  shows  why  their  labor  is  not  "vain,"  or  to  no  pur- 
pose ?  The  great  law  of  continuity,  which  is  so  widely  recognized  in 
our  day,  seems  to  be  involved  in  this  apostolic  conception.  The 
present  is  to  some  extent  a  product  of  the  past,  and  the  future  will 
spring  out  of  the  present.  We  have  seen  that  the  aim  of  God's  present 
dealing  with  the  disciples,  as  the  apostles  conceived  it,  is  to  secure  a 
holy  brotherhood.  This  holy  brotherhood  they  regard  as  destined  to 
continue  and  develop  in  eternity.  It  is  a  brotherhood  of  the  endless 
life. 

2.  The  idea  of  an  eternal  brotherhood  carries  with  it  the  idea  of  the 
eternal  common  Fatherhood  of  God.  The  ultimate  conception  of  the 
apostles  is  a  civilization,  somewhere  and  sometime  to  be  realized,  to 
include  all  the  righteous  of  all  the  ages,  in  which  all  shall  for  evermore 
be  true  sons  of  God  and  true  brothers  to  each  other.  The  Bible  may 
be  defined  broadly  as  the  history  of  God's  effort  to  realize  this  ideal. 
In  its  beginning  man  is  seen  to  be  running  away  from  God,  and  God  to 
be  searching  for  man  and  calling  after  him.  Read  Gen.  3  :  8,  9.  In 
the  final  view  of  humanity  God  has  His  children  again.  He  is  in  the 
midst  of  them  wiping  the  tear  stains  from  their  weary  faces,  strengthening 
them  for  eternity,  introducing  them  into  the  civilization  of  the  endless 
life.  Read  Rev.  21  :  1-4.  Read  all  of  chapters  21  and  22,  trying  to 
glean  from  the  apocalyptic  imagery  whatever  you  can  regarding  the 
civilization  of  eternity.  Read  also  7  '.9-17  ;  and  Heb.  12  :  22-24. 

Into  the  civilization  of  the  brotherhood  of  the  endless  life  Jesus  leads 
His  disciples. 


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STUDY  XXVIII.— (£J)e  &pofitoltc  Conception  of  tje  SDiariplt  in 

(Eternitp 

SEVENTH  DAY  :  REVIEW  OF  THE  WEEK 

1 .  Review  the  study  of  the  week,   and  sum  up  what  has  been  dis- 
covered about  the  disciple's  outlook  into  eternity.     What  warrants  him 
in    supposing  that   he  has  an  eternity  ?      What  enables   him  to  look 
Torward  to  it  with   anticipation  ?     What  is  to  be  the  character  of  his 
life  in  eternity  ?     What  do  we  mean  by   "  heaven  "  ? 

2.  It  seems  to  be  true  in  the  development  of  being  that  whatever  is 
highest  and  best  in   the   lower  order  is  a  prophecy   of  what  will  be 
commonplace   and  characteristic  in  the  next  higher   order.      In  life  as 
we  now  know   it  the  highest  and  the  best  things  are  friendship  and 
work,  the  power  to  love  and  the  power  to  achieve  unselfishly.      As  has 
been  seen,  it  is  in  these  two  highest  and  best  features  of  life  as  we  now 
know  it,  that  we  find  our  hint  of  what  is  to  be  commonplace  and  charac- 
teristic in  the  life  to  come.    The  friendships  and  achievements  of  brotherly 
men  under  the  leadership  of  Jesus  Christ  will  give  eternity  its  zest. 

No  man  can  forecast  what  these  achievements  will  be.  The  past 
achievements  of  the  race,  even  though  handicapped  by  selfishness,  have 
resulted  in  the  marvellous  civilization  of  to-day.  If  the  race  can 
accomplish  so  much  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  men  to  hinder  each  other, 
what  can  it  not  accomplish  when  the  spirit  of  brotherliness  shall  be  its 
fundamental  characteristic  ?  What  may  not  be  its  career  under  the 
"  new  heavens  "  and  on  the  "  new  earth  "  ! 

"The  Crowning  Race 

"  Of  those  that,  eye  to  eye,  shall  look 

On  knowledge  ;  under  whose  command 
Is  Earth  and  Earth's,  and  in  their  hand 
Is  Nature  like  an  open  book  j 

**  No  longer  half-akin  to  brute, 

For  all  we  thought  and  loved  and  did, 
And  hoped,  and  suffer' d,  is  but  seed 
Of  what  in  them  is  flower  and  fruit." 

Tennyson,  In  Memoriam. 


Studies  in  the  Teaching  of  "Jesus  and  His  Apostles 

STUDY  XXIX.— a  Statement  of  personal  Cestimonp 
FIRST  DAY  :    REVIEW  OF  PART  IV 

Look  rapidly  over  Studies  XXV  to  XXVIII  and  state  what  seems  to 
you  to  be  the  apostolic  conception  of  the  mission  of  the  disciple. 

Second  Day— Seventh  Day  :  The  completion  of  a  course  of  study 
like  the  present  one  affords  a  suitable  occasion  for  an  inventory  of  re- 
ligious convictions.  A  man's  fundamental  convictions  constitute  the 
real  testimony  of  his  life.  What  he  counts  for  in  the  great  universe  of 
personal  life  depends  upon  what  his  fundamental  convictions  are,  and 
the  faithfulness  with  which  he  yields  himself  to  them  in  action.  The 
strenuous,  though  often  unworded,  proclamation  made  by  every  honest 
soul  of  what  it  believes  to  be  true  gives  it  the  subtle  power  in  the 
economy  of  God  that  we  call  influence. 

It  often  happens  that  the  making  of  such  a  statement  of  personal 
convictions  acquaints  one  with  himself.  He  finds  himself  really  pos- 
sessed of  convictions  the  presence  of  which  in  his  life  he  had  not  real- 
ized. He  sees  also  sometimes  that  truths  hitherto  unrecognized  are 
necessarily  involved  in  truths  already  accepted,  and  so  enlarges  his 
sphere  of  conscious  conviction. 

It  is  suggested  that  the  time  ordinarily  spent  in  Bible  study  be  de- 
voted this  week  to  a  thoughtful,  prayerful  examination  of  personal  expe- 
rience, and  to  the  statement  in  writing  of  what  are  discovered  to  be 
fundamental  personal  religious  convictions. 

It  seems  undesirable  to  indicate  any  list  of  topics  to  be  taken  up  in 
order  in  this  statement  of  convictions.  Each  man  naturally  begins 
with  that  which  happens  to  be  the  most  real  to  him,  and  works  out 
from  that  to  other  convictions  which  stand  related  in  his  experience  to 
this  central  conviction.  In  general  the  question  to  be  steadily  asked  is, 
What  do  I  feel  reasonably  sure  of  about  myself,  about  God,  about  my 
fellow  men  ? 

It  is  helpful  to  bear  in  mind  that  a  reasonable  certainty  does  not 
necessitate  mathematical  demonstration.  We  are  almost  always  called 
upon  to  act  in  accordance  with  a  preponderance  of  probability.  In  a 
case  where  one  of  two  or  more  courses  of  action  must  be  chosen,  we 
are  under  obligation  to  choose  that  which  has  the  balance  of  probabil- 
ity in  its  favor,  even  though  we  cannot  prove  by  a  mathematical  dem- 
onstration that  it  is  the  best. 

It  is  also  true  that  we  do  not  limit  our  theories  of  life  to  what  we 
have  at  the  present  moment  found  to  be  true  in  our  own  experience- 

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No  good  scientist  ignores  the  results  that  have  been  obtained  in  the 
laboratories  of  other  reputable  investigators.  Oftentimes  he  adopts 
them,  acts  in  accordance  with  them,  and  so  makes  them  his  own.  In 
like  manner  we  also  take  account  of  the  religious  experience  of  other 
men.  Particularly  in  the  Bible  we  find  reports  of  religious  experience 
that  have  great  weight  with  us. 

Such  a  statement  of  convictions,  if  read  in  a  Bible  circle,  ought  not 
to  be  regarded  as  a  theological  statement  submitted  to  the  criticism  of 
others,  but  simply  as  a  personal  testimony  to  which  others  may  listen 
and  to  which  they  in  turn  may  add  their  own  personal  testimony. 


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STUDY  XXX.— ®J)e  EHscipie  C&oofitnff  bis  life 

It  is  also  natural  at  the  close  of  a  course  of  study  like  *hc^  present 
one  to  consider  the  principles  in  accordance  with  which  a  disciple  of 
Jesus  Christ,  who  shares  Jesus  Christ's  purpose  and  outlook,  should 
choose  his  life  work.  It  is  recommended  that  the  time  usually  devoted 
to  Bible  study  be  devoted  this  week  to  a  thoughtful,  prayerful  considera- 
tion and  statement  of  these  principles.  The  following  propositions  are 
suggested  as  those  that  ought  to  receive  attention,  among  others,  in 
such  an  investigation  : 

(1)  Anything   that    will  contribute    to    the  welfare  of  men    God 
wants  some  man  to  do.      Agriculture,  commerce,  invention,  literature, 
and  all  the  multiplying  occupations  of  modern  civilization,  are  of  God, 
in  so  far  as  they  contribute  to  the  welfare  of  men  ;  and  God  calls  men 
to  each  of  them. 

(2)  No    matter  what  occupation   the   disciple  of  Jesus  selects,  his 
supreme  concern  is  to  be  a  true  disciple  of  Jesus  Christ,  learning  from 
Him  to  be  a  true  son  of  God  and  a  true  brother  to   his  fellow  men  ; 
and  to  ^.Juce  as  many  others  as  he  can  to  be  the  same.     This  purpose 
is  not  peculiar  to  one  or  two  professions  but  characterizes  all  disciples. 
Telephones,  steamships,  literature  and  art  are  valuable  incidental  features 
of  civilization,  but  there  can  be  no  lasting   civilization   unless  brotherly 
men  possess  the  earth. 

(3)  The    disciple  ought  to  choose  that  occupation  in  life  in  which 
he  can  in  the  long  run  be  most  effective  in  inducing  his  fellow  men  to 
become  true  sons  of  God.      The  man  with  marked  linguistic  gifts,  who 
works  for  years  on  a  Chinese  dictionary,  may  in  the   long   run  be  far 
more  effective  in  bringing  men  into  discipleship  than  he  would  be  if  he 
dropped  his  dictionary-making  and  became   professionally  a  preacher  of 
the  gospel. 

A  disciple's  dominant  motive  for  entering  upon  a  business  career 
should  be  the  conviction  that,  as  a  business  man,  he  can  do  most  to 
establish  the  civilization  of  God's  Kingdom  on  earth.  The  disciple 
cannot  enter  upon  a  business  career  because  it  promises  him  money,  an 
elegant  home,  a  steam  yacht,  and  frequent  opportunities  for  travel 
abroad ;  nor  upon  the  practice  of  the  law  because  it  promises  him  a 
large  income  and  an  entrance  into  political  life,  any  more  than  the  dis- 
ciple can  choose  the  ministry  because  it  promises  social  position,  a  large 
church,  a  good  salary,  and  a  long  summer  vacation.  No  disciple  has 
a  right  to  choose  any  life  work  selfishly.  He  has  to  remember  that  he 
is  a  son  of  an  unselfish  Father. 

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(4)  Ordinarily  it    is  the  thing  which  a  man   is  fitted   by  nature  to 
do  best  that  God  calls  him  to  do.      The  fact  that    God  has  endowed 
him  with  marked  ability  to  do  a  certain  thing  well  is  ordinarily  an  ex- 
pression of  God's  will  regarding  him. 

(5)  Sometimes,  however,  in   an  emergency   something   is  so  much 
needed  that  the    disciple  ought  to  do  it,  although  he  could  do  some- 
thing else  that  happens  to  be  less  needed  with  a  higher  degree  of  pro- 
fessional success. 

(6)  If  there  are  several  things  that  the  disciple,  so  far  as  he  can  see, 
could  do  equally  well,  he  can  look  to  God  for  special  direction  and  ex- 
pect to  find  k  in  the  shaping  power  of  circumstances  or  in  some  steadily 
deepening  conviction. 

Jn  any  case,  if  he  chooses  his  life  work  conscientiously  and  does  his 
best  in  it  after  he  has  chosen  it,  keeping  always  uppermost  the  consider- 
ation mentioned  above  in  the  third  paragraph,  he  is  sure  of  a  successful 
life,  even  if  there  be  more  or  less  of  failure  in  his  profession.  He  will 
have  chosen  like  a  disciple  of  Jesus,  like  a  son  of  God,  like  a  member  of 
the  Holy  Brotherhood,  like  a  man  who  realizes  that  he  is  starting  upon 
an  endless  life  and  means  to  start  right. 


OF  THE 

I    UNIVERSITY  \ 

\  'OF 

X^ 


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